Annual Survey Finds Dangerous Toys on Store Shelves

Shopping Tips, Quiz Can Help Parents and Other Consumers Shop Safe

Arizona PIRG Education Fund

Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on store shelves, according to the PIRG’s 28th annual Trouble in Toyland report. The survey of hazardous toys found that despite recent progress, consumers must still be wary when shopping this holiday season.

The report reveals the results of laboratory testing on toys for toxic chemicals including lead, cadmium, and phthalates, all of which can have serious adverse health impacts on the development of children. The survey also found small toys that pose a choking hazard, extremely loud toys that threaten children’s hearing, and toy magnets that can cause serious injury if swallowed. 

“Consumers should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe. However, until that is the case, parents and other consumers need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys,” said Shaina Shay, representative for the Arizona PIRG Education Fund.

For 28 years, the Trouble in Toyland report has offered safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children and provided examples of toys currently on store shelves that pose potential safety hazards. The group also provides a Facebook quiz to help educate parents and others about toy-related hazards. 

Key findings from the report include:

• Toys with high levels of toxic substances are still on store shelves. The Arizona PIRG Education Fund found several toys with high lead levels including a toddler toy with 29 times the legal limit of lead (2900 ppm), and play jewelry for children with two times the legal limit (200 ppm). The group also found an infant play mat with high levels of the toxic metal antimony, and a child’s pencil case with high levels of phthalates and cadmium.
• Despite a ban on small parts in toys for children under three, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund found toys available in stores that still pose choking hazards.
• The Arizona PIRG Education Fund found toys that are potentially harmful to children’s ears and exceed the noise standards recommended by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
• The group also discovered small powerful magnets that pose a dangerous threat to children if swallowed.

Over the past five years, stronger rules have helped get some of the most dangerous toys and children’s products off the market. Improvements made in 2008’s Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act tightened lead limits and phased out dangerous phthalates. However, not all toys comply with the law, and holes in the toy safety net remain.

“Policy makers need to do more to protect children from the hazards of unsafe toys – no child should ever be injured, get sick, or die from playing with a dangerous toy,” said Shay.