Dev Gowda
Illinois PIRG Education Fund
Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves, according to Illinois Public Interest Research Group Education Fund’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.
“We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe. However, until that’s the case, parents need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys,” said Dev Gowda, Illinois PIRG Advocate.
For 28 years, the Illinois PIRG 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:
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.
“Our leaders and consumer watchdogs need to do more to protect America’s kids from the hazards of unsafe toys – no child should ever be injured, get sick, or die from playing with a dangerous toy,” said Gowda. “Standards for toxic chemicals like lead and cadmium remain too weak, and enforcement needs to be beefed up.”
To download our Toy Tips or the full Trouble in Toyland report, click here.
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Illinois PIRG Ed Fund, the Illinois Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, conducts research and public education on behalf of consumers and the public interest. Our research, analysis, reports and outreach serve as counterweights to the influence of powerful special interests that threaten our health, safety or well-being.