RECALL ON POKEBALLS

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Burger King Corp. are again urging consumers to immediately destroy and discard Pokémon balls distributed with Burger King kids meals in November and December, 1999. On January 25, 2000, a 4-month-old boy in Indianapolis, Indiana, reportedly suffocated when one-half of a Pokémon ball that was in his crib became stuck on his face.

Burger King Corporation, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, issued a voluntary recall of more than 25 million Pokémon balls on December 27, 1999. The balls pose a suffocation hazard to children under three years of age.

In December, a 13-month-old girl reportedly suffocated when one-half of a Pokémon ball covered her nose and mouth. Also in December, an 18-month-old girl nearly suffocated when a ball half got stuck over her face. On the second attempt, the girl's father was able to pull the ball half from her face.

Pokémon balls are plastic, ball-shaped containers between 2.75 and 3 inches in diameter. They pull apart to reveal one of 57 different Pokémon toys inside. The balls were distributed in a variety of colors including red and white, and hot pink. Packaging described them as safety tested and recommended for all ages of children.

BURGER KING® restaurants nationwide distributed the Pokémon balls inside BURGER KING BIG KIDS MEALS™ and regular kids meals from early November through December, 1999.

Consumers should immediately take the balls away from children under the age of three. They should discard the ball or return both halves of the ball and the clip to a BURGER KING® restaurant for a free order of small fries. Children can continue to use the Pokémon toy that came inside the ball.