It's not actually inhalation (that's an intake of air and other gases) - the young children are actually stuffing the bands up their noses with their fingers- as they have been with other small objects within reach such as Lego pieces, peanuts, etc etc since anyone can remember.
Loom bands are brilliant - I've seen the wildest, most fidgety children calm right down and pay attention just because they've got something constructive (but mindless) to do with their hands. And they can make some pretty cool things with them, too.
The world seems to be full of killjoys these days. Not everything that's a fad is bad.
what a success story. Every child in Malaysia/Singapore prob. south east asia played with rubber bands and rudimentary looms made out of wood and nails ever since rubber bands were invented and their parents brought home food packed in plastic bags and rubber bands , and this Malaysian guy went to the US, figured out how to make plastic looms and used Youtube to introduce it to the americans and Boom, he's a multi- millionaire within just a couple of years.
I don't think all those kids and adults who played with rubber bands when they were kids have cancer...
I've actually met him. He's a really down to earth guy and what impressed me the most was, that he basically came up with the whole concept because he wanted to spend more time with his 2 daughters. That's what I call a noble cause.
Actually - I wrote the opposite in response to someone describing it as inhalation - which it's not.
There's enough scare-mongering on this forum already without people worrying about rubber bands flying off the table and up your child's nose when they take a deep breath.
Just to make things clear:
The original loom bands are safe from toxicity. It's the rip-offs sold in dubious outlets that may be so. Young children can, and do, stuff small objects up their noses. Parents should either keep these out of reach (when they were bought for older siblings) or not buy them in the first place.
Thankyou very much för all of your responses. This was basically my reaction too. Toys r us aren't putting up a massive recall for the product either!!!
My girls play for hours with their loom bands and I love it when I'm shown the latest creation. They look so proud and it was heartbreaking to be told to throw them out.
I Googled everything I could trying to find out and that I came up with is basically the cheap ones are the dodgy ones . Then I thought I'd post on here and I'm so glad that I did.
Also I'm really impressed that my typo was able to generate so much laughter!!!
Thankyou again to everyone who has helped put my mind at rest