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CHOICE response to reports of another death related to button batteries.

Quotes attributable to CHOICE Editorial Director Margaret Rafferty:

“We’re devastated to hear that another child has tragically passed away from ingesting a button battery. Our thoughts go out to their family and loved ones and to all the other families who have experienced the unnecessary tragedy of death or injury due to these products. Button batteries are a common but deadly household item that can seriously harm children. When ingested or swallowed, these small round batteries can quickly burn through a child’s oesophagus or other internal organs, causing serious and irreversible injury or death.

“We know that the voluntary safety code isn’t working because when we tested common household items containing button batteries in our labs nearly 60% failed to meet the standard. That means that the batteries in those products were easily accessible, posing a huge risk to young children. CHOICE will continue to call for strong protections to help prevent this kind of tragedy. We know there is a solution that will keep children safer – a mandatory standard for button batteries which will make it harder for these deadly batteries to slip out of common household items and into the hands of our little ones.”