Nov. 24, 2010 — Though progress has been made in recent years in making toys for children more secure, far as well numerous toys remain on store racks that pose serious dangers to America’s kids, a consumer guard dog bunch says in a unused report.
Some toys contain toxic chemicals and numerous are choking risks, agreeing to the report by the U.S. Open Interest Investigate Gather (U.S. PIRG).
“We’ve made a part of advance, but unsafe toys can still be found among our children’s playthings,” says Liz Hitchcock, U.S. PIRG public health advocate and lead author of the organization’s 25th yearly Inconvenience in Toyland report. “U.S. PIRG’s report and the resources we offer will offer assistance consumers distinguish and dodge the most noticeably awful dangers and keep their children secure this year.”
Harmful Substances in Toys
The report says numerous toys contain lead or other poisonous substances, indicating to six toys as cases as potentially destructive due to chemicals they contain: a stuffed creature, a baby book, a tiara and jewelry set, a baby doll, plastic toy cuffs, and a toy weapon. The toys were sold at major retail and dollar stores. Among major discoveries in this year’s report:
In spite of a boycott on little parts in toys for kids beneath age 3, some toys still pose serious choking hazards, counting a toy prepare with a wooden peg that U.S. PIRG says nearly caused the choking passing of a child in the Washington, D.C. region. A few toys contained phthalates, considered to be possibly hurtful chemicals, counting a child doll that contained concentrations of phthalates up to 300,000 parts per million. Research facility tests revealed toys containing possibly toxic lead and antimony, even though lead and other metals have been extremely restricted in toys.
The U.S. PIRG report says lead has negative health effects on almost every organ and system in the human body, which antimony is classified as a possible carcinogen by the Worldwide Office for Research on Cancer and the European Union. One baby book with antimony was found to contain far more antimony than passable limits.
Role of Federal Offices
Hitchcock says the Consumer Product Security Commission (CPSC) is doing a good job “but there is still more work to be done, particularly when it comes to reducing choking hazards and regulating the tens of thousands of chemicals that may be in the toys our children play with.”
Toy-related injuries sent more than 250,000 children to crisis rooms in 2009, agreeing to the CPSC. Twelve children died in 2009 from toy-related injuries.
Congress passed The Buyer Item Safety Advancement Act of 2008 in August 2008. This law gives the CPSC an increase in authority and gives unused testing guidelines for toys. Still, U.S. PIRG says in an official summary to its 2010 report, “there are tens of thousands of toxic chemicals that are still not directed for the many uses in our children’s lives.”
U.S. PIRG Recommendations
The U.S. PIRG issued a number of suggestions this year:
Congress should protect the budget of the CPSC and proceed incredible oversight of execution and authorization of the modern law. Producers should be required to provide all hazard and health data to state and federal organizations so that they can way better assess the safety or threat of chemicals. The government government ought to make beyond any doubt dangerous chemicals are phased out of toys and other items expecting for children. Products should be labeled with names of chemicals to deliver parents a chance to choose toys that are less harmful.
The report distinguishes the following toys as potential dangers:
A stuffed creature monkey made by Play Pets that contained lead somewhat above prescribed levels. The surface coating of toy plastic cuffs sold at Toys “R” Us, which had excess antimony, many times higher than passable. The ruddy handle of a infant book sold at Toys “R” Us containing antimony that was over the admissible restrain. The coating on the surface of a wild extend toy weapon sold at Family Dollar, which had more antimony than allowed.
U.S. PIRG says that since there’s no comprehensive list of potentially perilous toys, guardians should carefully look at things some time recently buying them.
The report also records the following as posing threats for kids:
Little parts on toys that can detach and posture choking dangers. Little balls, which are simple to swallow. Balls with a distance across of less than 1.75 inches are banned for kids under age 3. Balloons, which cause more choking deaths than any other kids’ item. Marbles. Toys with marbles must containing caution labels. Drawstrings on clothing can lead to deaths or wounds because they now and then catch on lodgings, entryways, or play area gear. Items That Can Posture Risks
The U.S. PIRG report records the taking after items as containing possibly harmful sums of lead or other perilous chemicals:
Princess Expressions Tiara and Adornments set, made by Almar Deals and sold by Kmart. Monkey in Banana, made by Play Pets and sold at Uncle Fun stores. Infant Doll, also sold by Uncle Fun. U.S. PIRG says the manufacturer of the doll was unknown. Dora the Pilgrim rucksack, made by Global design Concepts and sold by Claire’s retailers. Shinning stars travel book, sold at Toys “R” Us. Plastic binds, sold at Toys “R” Us. Wild ranger toy weapon, made by Polyfect Inc. and sold at Family Dollar stores.
The report records two illustrations of toys that pose potential choking dangers:
Lokmock/Baby’s to begin with prepare, made by Haba, sold by Sullivan’s Toys Let’s Get Building! Construction Playset (Convenient Manny Big Construction Job), made by Fisher-Price and sold at Target.