BEIJING (AFP) - Used condoms are being recycled into hair
bands in southern China threatening to spread sexually-transmittable
diseases they were originally meant to prevent, state media reported
Tuesday
In the latest example of potentially harmful
Chinese-made products, rubber hair bands have been found in local
markets and beauty salons in Dongguan and Guangzhou cities in southern
Guangdong province, China Daily newspaper said.
'These cheap and colorful rubber bands and hair ties
sell well ..... threatening the health of local people,' it said.
Despite being recycled, the hair bands could still contain bacteria and
viruses, it said.
'People could be infected with AIDS, (genital) warts
or other diseases if they hold the rubber bands or strings in their
mouths while waving their hair into plaits or buns,' the paper quoted a
local dermatologist who gave only his surname, Dong, as saying. A bag of
ten of the recycled bands sells for just 25 s en (three cents), much
cheaper than others on the market, accounting for their popularity, the
paper said.
A government official was quoted as saying recycling
condoms was illegal. China 's manufacturing industry has been repeatedly
tarnished this year by a string of scandals involving shoddy or
dangerous goods made for both domestic and foreign markets.
In response, it launched a public relations blitz this
summer aimed at playing up efforts to strengthen monitoring systems.
Check your kids hair bands and make sure they do not put them in their
mouth while trying to plait or tie their hair!
