DENVER – Before filling the stockings of little loved ones this holiday season, gift-givers might want to check out a new annual report that lists potential toy dangers to watch out for on store shelves.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group has released its “Trouble in Toyland” report for 29 years now, said Pam Clough, an organizer with PIRG, 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,” she said, “but it’s evident that there are still dangerous toys on the shelves.”
Clough said the findings highlight the need for consumers to be proactive and do their research before buying, and also examine items that already have been purchased for possible dangers.
Among the 24 toys on the list this year, Clough said, PIRG uncovered four main hazards: toxins, choking risks, magnets and excessively noisy toys. She said toxic chemicals including lead, chromium and phthalates found in toys can have adverse health effects on a child’s development.
“We found toys that contained phthalates that are well over the legal limits,” she said. “For example, a Dora backpack was 20 percent phthalates, which is ridiculous.”
Clough said toy-safety standards have improved with passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. One of those “improvements,” she said, 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 said, “and it actually can lead to severe injury that has been seen in pediatric emergency hospitals.”
The Toy Industry Association claims PIRG’s past unsafe-toy reports were based on improper testing methods that aren’t approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Visit uspirg.org to view the PIRG report.
