Please Help Save the Magnets!

etherfi · March 23, 2022

Linus, please amplify this if you agree.

There are only 6 days left to try and change this...

I realize this isn't directly tech-related... But let's face it, who here doesn't love playing with magnets?

Something terrible has happened though. Through what has got to be the most egregious regulatory overreach I've seen in a long time, Zen Magnets and related magnetic toys have been banned in the USA.

Both sides agree that:
High-power magnets are relatively dangerous if swallowed.
High-power magnets are not toys for kids and should not be sold as such.
There are too many high-power magnet ingestions, and action is necessary.

The difference, is that one side insist that:
Unless recreational high-power magnets are prohibited to all ages, they will result in a torrent of injuries.
No degree of warnings, sales restrictions or packaging can effectively warn adults to prevent the swallowing of magnets.
The magnet injury rate correlates with the presence of an all ages ban, and not CPSC's selective dereliction of enforcement.
Usefulness and utility is decided by regulators and lobbyists, and high-power magnets have little utility.

I feel really passionately about this, and it's been going on for years. And asking the LTT community for help in fixing this my last hope.

There's some more info here.

Please go here and submit a comment telling the CPSC to let Americans please have magnet toys!!

Example wording

"It's a false dichotomy that recreational high-power magnets must either be prohibited to all ages, or result in a torrent of injuries. An all ages prohibition is not reasonable, especially when an alternative lies in ASTM-F3458-21 which includes child resistant packaging and warnings more vigorous than cigarettes and fireworks combined. I urge the CPSC to avoid a non-consensual prohibition on recreational magnets for Adults, and work on limiting sales to those who can use magnets safely."

Thanks in advance for your help, LTT community.

Charles