Toxic squishies

Zyaria Hatcher, MVC staff writer

Squishies are everywhere and you have probably seen them. Squishies are the soft squishable new toys out in the market and are  the toy craze for preschoolers and elementary students. They have the texture and the softness that is perfect for a stress reliever, but besides that, they are just very fun to squish. The weird thing about them is the odd smell from them. It is a sign of something dangerous.

The Danish government recently tested Squishies and found them to be full of toxic substances. The Danish government tested twelve Squishies for the outgassing of toxic chemicals. All twelve Squishies were found to emit toxic substances which include methylene chloride. The chemicals are thought to cause reproductive problems, cancer, liver and nervous system damage, and irritation to the eyes. They concluded that the high concentration levels found may have a very significant risk if children spend a lot of time near them, like sleeping with Squishies near them or having a bunch of them in their room.

“My little sister has a bunch of Squishies in her room and is constantly playing with them, but I never really noticed anything off about them,” Nathalie Davis, 10.

The evaporation of the harmful substances from the products lowers over time from when they are new to when they have been used more often. The release of the hazardous chemical substances is by far the largest when the Squishy is new. Therefore, it is recommended that no new Squishies should be brought into the home. In fact, it is now illegal to sell these products within Denmark.

It is always good to be careful about the products you bring into your home.