WASHINGTON
"We're seeing progress, but it's not perfection," said
Elizabeth Hitchcock, public health advocate for U.S. Public
Interest Research Group. "There are still hazards on store shelves
that consumers should be aware of."
PIRG credited a 2008 law that set stronger limits and standards
for children's products for helping to make many of the products on
store shelves safer for youngsters. The law was passed in the wake
of a wave of recalls of lead tainted toys.
PIRG had 260 toys and other children's products from major
retailers and dollar stores tested for toxic substances such as
lead and antimony as well as for the risk of choking presented by
small parts. Four of the items tested violated federal safety
regulations for children's toys.
In its 25th annual "Trouble in Toyland" report on hazardous
playthings, the organization focused on three hazards: lead or
other metal-tainted toys, soft plastic toys that contain chemicals
called phthalates, and toys with small parts that can choke young
children.
Higher than permissible levels of lead or antimony were found in
four toys -- a stuffed animal, a baby book, plastic toy handcuffs
and a toy gun. The toys were sold at stores including Toys "R" Us
and Family Dollar. Messages left for both companies were not
immediately returned.
Lead can cause irreversible brain damage, and antimony has been
linked to fertility problems in animals.
Overall, though, the toy industry praised the findings.
"Toys on shelves now are safer than they have ever been
before," said Stacy Leistner, a vice president at the Toy Industry
Association.
While none of the products tested violated federal limits for
small parts, PIRG found that several toys were still hazardous for
children under 3 because the size was not that much bigger than
allowed by law.
In one case, a train made by Haba was singled out after a
Washington, D.C., mother, Jennifer Tapper, contacted the group.
Tapper said her 1-year-old son, Jack, nearly choked to death
after swallowing one of the small removable blocks on the train.
She performed the anti-choking Heimlich maneuver on the boy to save
him. A message seeking comment was left for Haba.
Hitchcock said her group wants the Consumer Product Safety
Commission, which regulates thousands of household products, to
make choking standards more strict.
The toys identified in the group's report as potential dangers
were:
--A stuffed animal monkey made by Play Pets that contained lead
just slightly above the limit.
--The red handle of a baby book sold at Toys "R" Us that
contained antimony that was about twice the limit.
--The surface coating of toy plastic handcuffs sold at Toys "R"
Us that had excess antimony, many times higher than allowed.
--The surface coating of a wild ranger toy gun sold at Family
Dollar with slightly higher levels of antimony than allowed.
Tests on toys find few problems this holiday season
By ABC13
Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.
TOP STORIES