Milestones: Protecting kids from unsafe products

Taking on trouble in toyland

The Toy Association, a trade group representing the industry, had a harsh response in November 2018 for PIRG’s 33rd annual “Trouble in Toyland” report, stating:

“What PIRG doesn’t tell you … is that toys are among the safest consumer product categories found in the home. U.S. toy safety requirements are among the strictest in the world, with more than 100+ standards and tests in place…”

They were right. Toys today are safer.

But only because toy safety advocates and concerned parents demanded tougher standards.

Since 1987, U.S. PIRG Education Fund has published 36 reports raising awareness of potentially harmful toys, resulting in more than 150 recalls.

Bright yellow or orange labels on many toys have also helped inform parents. They read “Warning: Choking hazard. Small parts.” The labels were required by the 1994 Child Safety Protection Act, which passed after years of lobbying by PIRG and other consumer advocates and the 1992 adoption of a similar PIRG-backed law in Connecticut.

Better enforcement has also helped reduce toy-related deaths and injuries among children. In 2007-2008, PIRG led a coalition of consumer groups, mothers and parent-teacher associations to lobby in support of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

PIRG’s Ed Mierzwinski (the former ConnPIRG staffer and now the dean of consumer advocates in Washington, D.C.) testified before Congress in support of the bill. Thousands of PIRG activists pitched in to purchase an ad in USA Today. In the week leading up to the vote, at least 7,000 PIRG supporters sent emails, signed petitions and made phone calls.

On August 14, 2008, the CPSIA became law, making safety standards and testing mandatory, reducing allowable limits for toxic substances and empowering the CPSC to rush unsafe toy recalls.

You can’t make this stuff up: Asbestos for kids

In March 2018, PIRG-commissioned independent testing identified asbestos contamination in three Claire’s makeup products marketed for children.

After we notified Claire’s and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company disputed the findings and refused to pull the products. PIRG President Faye Park warned parents through the media, including in an appearance on CBS News.

Months later, European government agencies also found asbestos and ordered Claire’s to cease selling the products. Still, Claire’s continued to sell the makeup in the United States.

In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed our findings. This time, Claire’s issued a recall.

A wake-up call on deadly infant sleepers

In May 2019, Adam Garber was alarmed to discover Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play inclined sleepers at his infant son’s day care.

Adam knew that the sleepers, along with the Kids II Rocking Sleeper, had been recalled in April after causing the deaths of 36 infants. But Adam knew only because he was PIRG’s Consumer Watchdog. What about other parents and other day care centers?

Adam’s child’s day care immediately stopped using the sleepers. Meanwhile, Adam alerted the public of the news and began a survey of child care facilities to learn how prevalent the problem was.

Of the 376 facilities surveyed by PIRG staff, 1 in 10 were still using recalled sleepers. The report recommended that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission improve product recall systems and encourage states to ban the use of recalled products in child care settings.

About this series: PIRG and The Public Interest Network have achieved much more than we can cover on this page. You can find more milestones of our work on consumer protection below. You can also explore an interactive timeline featuring more of our network’s consumer protection milestones.