TodayPrecaution is key for parents when it comes to buying toys
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Article RatingForget deck the halls. Last year at this time, parents across the country were ready to deck toymakers after a record number of toy recalls left them scrambling to find appropriate gifts for their children for the holidays.
This year there’s been less hoopla over the recalls, but that doesn’t mean they’ve disappeared. In fact, it’s been another big year for toy recalls.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal division that tracks recalls, more than 60 have been issued already this year.
“I don’t know the exact number this year, but it certainly is still high,” says Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving product safety. “We are still seeing a number of recalls for lead paint, which has been a continuing problem. There are battery issues, either leaking or overcharging, and some design issues that pose choking hazards.”
The good news is that next year at this time, recalls may not be such an issue due to new toy protections being implemented in February by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The bad news is that it won’t much help for this Christmas season.
Earlier this week, the Public Interest Research Group released its 23rd annual toy safety survey, which warned that 80,000 children under the age of 5 visited emergency rooms last year due to toy-related injuries.
That’s not to say that every toy is a ticking time bomb. It’s simply a reminder that parents need to be aware of safety issues when they purchase items for their children. Just because a toy ends up on a retail shelf doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe.
According to PIRG, there are three main culprits to be on the lookout for this holiday season: toxic phthalates, a chemical used in the production of plastics; lead in toys and kids’ jewelry; and choking hazards.
Cowles suggests that there are ways to guard against these threats, and one is to use common sense. If you are buying toys for a child under age 3, make sure there are no parts that could fit in a toilet paper tube. These are choking hazards.
For lead paint, buying American made is the best solution. It’s virtually impossible to find lead paint in the U.S. now, while restrictions abroad are much looser and led to much of the problem last year. Cowles warns to beware brightly painted toys.
“Be sure it’s from, I’d say, one of the major companies,” she says. “They were already putting testing in place after last year’s problems. Metal jewelry I’d recommend avoiding altogether, as much of that ends up testing positive for lead.”
The economy could also lead to more lead headaches this year. That’s because money-conscious consumers are expected to make more second-hand purchases from places like eBay, garage sales and thrift stores.
The one problem with that, of course, is that these toys have not been vetted for recalls, as they are in major toy stores. Thus if you are making a second-hand purchase, you’d best do some research beforehand.
“If you’re looking at sites like eBay... there could be older products (for sale) that have since been recalled,” Cowles says. “Certainly if you’re buying second-hand products, be sure they have not been recalled. And if you get a product and it seems to you something is unsafe, don’t hesitate to report it. That’s often the only way dangerous products get taken off the market.”
Next year, toy recalls could become less of a problem. Earlier this year, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which will eventually ban lead except at trace amounts in paint or coatings or in any toys, jewelry or other products for use by children under 12 years old.
The act will begin being implemented in February, and it should help with oversight of smaller toy companies that had not implemented self-regulation.
“By next Christmas, we should have safer toys,” Cowles says.
