The use of magnets as 'fake' tongue piercings and jewellery is seeing young people needing surgery after swallowing the metal objects. The trend is also putting people at risk of serious infection, lifelong digestive disorders, or even death.
A campaign highlighting the risks of swallowing magnets has been launched by the The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). The #SafeFashion campaign, which launched today (Monday, April 11), is asking young people and their parents to learn more about the dangers of magnets when used as fashion accessories by children and young people.
Instances where the magnets have detached and been swallowed have led to the need for surgery and can cause serious complications - with the risk of fatalities. When two or more of the small ball magnets are swallowed, they can stick together, causing damage to the digestive system.
A magnet in one loop of the bowel will be attracted to another in a different loop and pull the two together. This traps parts of the digestive system between the magnets, cutting off blood flow and rapidly killing intestinal tissue.
Created as part of the #NilByMouth campaign, launched by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, #SafeFashion aims to utilise social media to spread awareness of the dangers around faking a piercing with ball magnets.
RoSPA’s Public Health Adviser, Ashley Martin, said: “We anticipate that more injuries are likely to occur from magnets being used as fake tongue piercings, which is why we recommend that older children and their families are made aware through our #SafeFashion campaign how dangerous magnets can be if swallowed. Magnets stick together and cut off blood supply, causing tissue to die. We’re warning parents and teenagers to take real care when buying products containing magnets.”
How many magnet injuries have there been?
UK injuries from magnets are not reported systematically. However data has been submitted to us by one hospital detailing 19 cases over a twelve-month period (commencing in January 2019 and ending in January 2020) where children had ingested magnets. Eleven of these children were over 10years-old and the remaining eight children were under 5-years-old. Three of the nineteen cases required surgery.
A group of four hospitals in the South East of England have reported 52 cases over a five-year period between 2016 and 2020. There was a five-fold increase during this period. 42 per cent of these cases required surgery.
How can I keep my child safe from swallowing magnets?
Keep all products containing high strength magnets out of reach of young children
Make sure that older children are aware of the dangers of using magnets as jewellery products or as “fake” tongue or facial piercings.
What should I do if my child swallows magnets?
If you think your child may have swallowed magnets, seek medical advice immediately.
