STUDY OUTLINES HARMFUL TOYS

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STUDY OUTLINES HARMFUL TOYS

Trouble in Toyland report lists possible hidden toy hazards

LISA CAPITELLI

Staff Writer

land PIRG released its 25th annual Trouble In Toyland report Nov. 23,

warning consumers of possible hidden toy hazards. Pictured are some of the toys

the report warns could pose choking hazards or contain toxic chemicals, such as

lead and phthalates. OCEAN CITY TODAY/LISA CAPITELLI land PIRG released its

25th annual Trouble In Toyland report Nov. 23, warning consumers of possible

hidden toy hazards. Pictured are some of the toys the report warns could pose

choking hazards or contain toxic chemicals, such as lead and phthalates. OCEAN

CITY TODAY/LISA CAPITELLI (Nov. 26, 2010) Thanksgiving weekend is typically the

time when people begin their holiday shopping. An annual report recently

published by land Public Interest Research Group is geared toward helping

parents and guardians make safe choices when shopping for children this holiday

season.

land PIRG, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental

protection, consumer rights and good government, on Tuesday released its 25th

annual “Trouble in Toyland†report, a nationwide survey that warns consumers

of possible hidden toy hazards and provides guidelines for parents purchasing

toys for small children, as well as examples of toys that pose potential safety

hazards.

The group also offers an interactive tool accessible from mobile phones or

computers at www.toysafety.net or http://toysafety.mobi to help toy buyers avoid

common hazards, land PIRG Associate Carly Mercer said during a press

conference at Peninsula Regional Medical Center’s Avery W. Hall Educational

Center. Consumers can also report dangerous toys on these sites.

PIRG toy safety reports have led to more than 150 recalls and other regulatory

actions in the last 25 years, Mercer said.

“We have taken major steps forward, but there are still unsafe toys on store

shelves,†she said. “We must do more to protect children.â€

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 250,000 children

— approximately 90,000 younger than 5 years old — were treated in emergency

rooms for toy-related injuries in 2009. Twelve died.

The PIRG report focuses on several categories of toy dangers, including toys

that pose choking hazards and contain toxic chemicals such as lead and

phthalates.

n Choking: Choking on small parts, balls and balloons remains the leading cause

of toy-related deaths and injuries. According to the report, between 1990 and

2009, approximately 198 children died after choking on a toy or toy part.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the sale of toys containing small

parts that were intended to be used by children younger than 3. A small part is

defined as anything that can fit inside a clear choke test cylinder, which has a

diameter of 1.25 inches and a depth of 1 to 2.25 inches. Toys for 3- to

6-yearolds that have small parts are required by federal law to carry a warning

label.

“We all know toddlers put everything in their mouths,†said Mercer, who

encourages parents to use an empty toilet paper roll, which is 1.75 inches in

diameter, to see if toys could cause their child to choke. If the toy fits

inside the roll, it is a possible choking hazard and inappropriate for children

younger than 3.

In 2009, 5.8 million toys and children’s products were recalled in the United

States and Canada because they posed choking hazards.

n Toxic Chemicals: Two of the toxic chemicals the report places emphasis on are

lead and phthalates.

Lead poisoning affects the nervous system and can cause learning disabilities,

lower IQ, delay mental and physical development and cause behavioral problems,

Mercer said. If a child is exposed to high levels, it can even cause death.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, signed in August 2008, was the

first major overhaul of the CPSC since the early 1970s, according to the report.

It awarded the agency an increase in budget and authority and established new

testing standards for toys and children’s products.

It also banned lead in toys and children’s products, except in trace amounts

in paint or coating (90 parts per million as of August 2009) and in toys,

jewelry and other products (300 ppm limit as of August 2009) used by children 12

years of age and younger, the report states. So far this year, more than half a

million children’s products were recalled by the CPSC for violations of the

lead paint standard and an additional 392,000 for violation of the 300 ppm lead

standard.

Toys that contain more than 0.1 percent of the toxic chemical phthalates, used

in plastics, are also banned.

“The CPSC is doing a commendable job to make the marketplace safer,†Mercer

said. “But, there is still more work to be done, especially when it comes to

eliminating choking hazards and regulating the tens of thousands of chemicals

that are in the toys our children play with every day.â€

Toys and children’s products posing strangulation hazards were also mentioned

in the report.

Mercer advises parents to examine toys for possible dangers before purchasing

them.

Pediatrician Dr. Layton, who also spoke during the press conference,

encourages consumers to consider children’s ages when choosing toys, as

choking is one of the top reasons children come to the Salisbury hospital. She

also warned parents to be aware of noise volume of toys, because if it is loud

to parents, it’s also loud for children.

The kind of lifestyle parents want to promote should also be a key factor when

purchasing children’s products. When purchasing gifts such as bicycles or

skateboards, don’t forget safety equipment, like helmets and padding, she

said. Layton also encourages parents to pay attention to the amount of violence

in video games.

The full Trouble In Toyland report is available online at www.ToySafety.net.