Report Highlights Unsafe Toys in Time for Xmas
Posted December 9, 2014 07:29 am
TALLAHASSEE,
FL– Before filling the stockings of little loved ones
this holiday season, you might want to consider a recent
annual report that lists potential toy dangers.
Pam Clough, campaign organizer for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group says PIRG has released its Trouble in Toyland report for 29 years now, and as a result, more than 150 toys have either been recalled or taken out of retail stores.
"It is great to see that progress is being made, but it's evident that there are still dangerous toys on the shelves," she stresses.
Clough adds the findings highlight the need for
consumers to be proactive and do their research before
buying, and also examine items that have already been
purchased for possible dangers.
Among the 24 toys on the list this year, Clough says
PIRG uncovered four main hazards - toxins, choking
risks, magnets and excessively noisy toys.
"We found toys that contained phthalates that are well
over the legal limits," she points out. "For example, a
Dora backpack was 20 percent phthalates, which is
ridiculous."
Clough says the toxic chemicals found in toys can have
adverse health effects on a child's development, and the
list includes lead and chromium, among others.
Clough says toy safety standards have improved with
passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
She says one of those improvements is a ban that goes
into effect next year on small magnetic sets that pose a
dangerous threat to children if swallowed.
"The magnets have the power to bind through tissue, and
so that can really disrupt the digestive system," she
explains. "And it actually can lead to severe injury
that has been seen in pediatric emergency hospitals."
The Toy Industry Association maintains PIRG's past
unsafe toy reports were based on improper testing
methods that aren't approved by the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
Photos/graphics added by the Observer
This piece was reprinted by the Columbia County Observer with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.