New child in hospital over GHB

The children who swallowed the beads have now recovered

Another child has been hospitalised after swallowing parts of a toy found to contain a substance linked to the date-rape drug GHB.

Four children in Australia, two in New Zealand and two in the US have required treatment after swallowing the product.

Health authorities have appealed to people not to experiment with the beads in the hope of getting a chemical high.

The award-winning Bindeez toys have now been withdrawn from sale in both the United States and Australia.

Beads from the popular craft toy have been found to be coated in chemicals which transform into the banned drug GHB when swallowed.

The hospitalised children all suffered from dizziness and drowsiness and the two US children slipped into comas. All have since recovered.

The appeal from the authorities comes shortly before Schoolies Week, in which tens of thousands of newly-graduated school students travel to Queensland's Gold Coast for end of term celebrations.

There is concern that a black market in the beads could emerge, with people attempting to get a chemical high similar to that caused by the GHB drug, also known as fantasy.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young is reportedly very concerned that young people will experiment with the beads.

However The Age newspaper reports that Fair Trading Minister Linda Burney has called this fear 'bizarre', saying she had no information from the police to back up the claim.

Coloured beads

The toy has proved extremely popular in both the US and Australia. In 2007, Bindeez was named Australia's Toy of the Year.

It consists of hundreds of brightly-coloured beads that can be arranged into a piece of art and sprayed with water to set.

The beads are meant to be coated in a non-toxic glue, but a batch in Australia was found to be covered with a substance that did not match the approved formula.

About 4.2 million units of the toy will be recalled in the US, officials said, and about one million in Australia.

It is the latest in a series of safety scares over products made in China.