Stinky bombs, toy "firecrackers" (explosive bombs), matches... are some of the dangerous toys being sold in front of some schools in the province. These dangerous toys attract many students, especially elementary school children, because they pique their curiosity.
The toy, which students and vendors call "firecrackers" (circled), is sold openly in front of many school gates.
Cheap and easy to buy, everything from stink bombs and explosive bombs to sharp toys and even matches are sold.
Walking around the entrance of TQT Primary School (Vi Thanh City) at around 1:30 PM on April 8th, and chatting with the students, we learned that a shop in front of the school is selling many types of toys that the school has announced are "banned" for students to use, such as matches, stink bombs, and Pokemon-shaped "fireworks" (students also call them "explosive bombs" - PV).
P., a student at this school, recounted: “Since the shop right next to our school started selling ‘explosive bombs, stink bombs,’ and matches, we saw many friends buying them and finding them fun to play with, so we bought some too. The bombs are easy to play with; you just put them on the ground, stomp on them, and they automatically inflate and explode. If a bomb explodes, it just makes a loud bang and releases white smoke. The stink bombs smell terrible. Some friends even bought matches and took them to the back of the school to light them on fire. I heard the teacher say that lighting them like that makes them easily flammable, so I was scared and didn’t dare play with them.”
Packaged like a small bag of candy, stink bomb toys usually have a black outer wrapper with a skull printed on it and the words "Made in China" below; while firecracker toys have more eye-catching packaging with various colors and images of Pokemon characters.
With a relatively low price of 2,000-3,000 VND per pack, these types of toys attract students to buy them for fun, simply because most parents now give their children a lot of money to spend.
It was quite surprising to see my child and many other students at the school playing with toys of unknown origin that were quite dangerous. Ms. T., whose child attends TQT Primary School, shared: “Honestly, I didn't think there would be so many dangerous toys sold right at the school gate. After researching online, I learned that these stink bombs and 'explosive bombs' can affect students' health when they explode. Inhaling the foul smell can cause shortness of breath, vomiting, or eye damage from the white smoke. Especially now, with the weather being extremely hot and prone to fires, if students are playing with matches in the school grounds and a fire breaks out, I don't know what we would do.”
At NVT Primary School (Vi Thanh City), packets of "explosive bombs" are freely sold right in front of the school's main gate for 3,000 VND per packet. The owner of a shop in front of the gate shared: "Knowing that these 'explosive bombs' and 'stink bombs' will affect students' health, the school's management has invited us to remind them, but some small stalls still sell them. They sell these because they are very expensive and students are curious to buy them as a form of exploration ."
According to a survey conducted by reporters at four primary schools in one locality within the province, almost every school gate had firecrackers for sale, and some places even sold stink bombs.
It's not difficult to find these kinds of dangerous toys in many shops near school gates.
There are many potential risks affecting students' health.
Not long ago, 19 middle school students in Vinh Long province and 21 students in Tra Vinh province were hospitalized with suspected poisoning symptoms such as vomiting and difficulty breathing after playing with stink bombs.
Upon investigation, it was found that these packages contain acetic acid, and the white foam is bicarbonate salt.
When these two substances combine, they produce a gaseous substance (CO2) that causes the casing of the Pokemon toy to inflate and explode.
If this chemical comes into contact with the skin, it will cause itching or mild burning; if it gets in the eyes, it will cause eye inflammation and damage.
Similar to firecrackers, players simply apply a strong force to the stink bomb toy bag, causing it to inflate and explode with a loud bang, releasing a thick, foul-smelling liquid. Along with the explosion, a strong, unpleasant odor is released, bothering those nearby. This type of toy contains strange substances that can affect the skin and eyes if the liquid comes into contact with them. In particular, the foul odor emitted from this toy poses a health risk to children.
Ms. Tran Thi Chinh, Principal of Cai Tac Town Primary School, Chau Thanh A District, said: “The school also instructs the Red Star Team to be on duty outside the gate, and when they detect any students carrying dangerous toys, they will immediately report it to the teachers. The school also coordinates with the militia and the town's health force to inspect, educate, and remind some shops in front of the school gate about not selling dangerous toys to students.”
According to the Principal of Cai Tac Town Primary School, the school previously discovered two cases of students buying stink bombs from outside and bringing them into the school. Fortunately, they were discovered in time and confiscated. Dangerous toys are usually sold in front of the school gate, making management difficult. Reminding and educating students to be self-aware is considered a crucial factor in protecting their health from these unfamiliar toys.
Regarding the discovery of a case where a student bought a stink bomb toy from the school gate and brought it into the school grounds, Mr. Pham Ngoc Toan, Principal of Le Van Tam Primary School in Long My town, said: “Because primary school students are quite young and curious, strange toys are very attractive to them. To prevent students from buying dangerous toys that could affect their health, such as stink bombs, the school and homeroom teachers regularly remind them. Previously, when we discovered some small stalls in front of the school gate selling stink bombs, the school reported it to the local authorities to ask the police to come and remind them. As for the school canteen, we also regularly check the types of candies and toys sold there.”
In fact, dangerous toys like stink bombs and explosive bombs are still being sold right outside school gates, even though schools have now intensified their efforts to raise awareness and remind students not to buy or play with such dangerous toys.
To prevent unfortunate incidents like those experienced by students in many provinces and cities due to dangerous toys, it is essential that, in addition to schools proactively raising awareness among students, relevant authorities take decisive action.
Text and photos: AN
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