Chinese authorities have just confirmed that the toys marketed as Aqua Dots and Aqua Beads in the United States, which were recently pulled from store shelves, do in fact contain a chemical that metabolizes into the date rape drug GHB.

3 children in Australia and 2 American children have all gone to hospital suffering from severe seizures or slipping into comas after swallowing some of the plastic pellets.

Keep in mind that until this story broke this was a top-rated toy that Santa Claus was likely going to place under millions of Christmas trees.  With such poor quality control there is simply no way for the average consumer to know if the 'made in China' plastic toys you buy your children are safe.

So before you buy that next doll or set of building blocks, visit the manufacturer's web site.  If their good are made in China, find out what additional quality control measures they have in place to ensure safety.

» New York Daily News