Group Commends Consumer Product Safety Commission for Taking First Step Toward Banning Lead in Children

Statement of Diane E. Brown, Executive Director

Arizona PIRG Education Fund

Yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took a long overdue first step toward banning lead in children’s metal jewelry. We have known for decades that lead can cause permanent developmental damage in children or even death, so we commend the CPSC commissioners for voting to protect children from lead exposure.

In November, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund released its annual Trouble in Toyland report, where we showed just how easy it is to find children’s jewelry containing high levels of lead on store shelves. Our researchers found four items of children’s jewelry that contain lead levels ranging from 1.8% lead to 34% lead by weight. CPSC voted to move forward with a ban on any children’s metal jewelry containing more than 0.06% lead by weight.

We look forward to working with the CPSC as it begins a lengthy rulemaking process to implement a ban on lead-laden children’s metal jewelry. The new regulations should guarantee the strongest possible safeguards for children’s health while allowing states to enact more protective standards.