HKQ Kids Sponsors Program on Dangerous Holiday Toys

   “Shoppers should examine all toys carefully for hidden dangers before they make a purchase this holiday season,” McConnell said. “While most manufacturers comply with the law, parents should not assume that all toys on store shelves are safe or adequately labeled.”
   “Trouble in Toyland,” which is available online at www.hkqkids.org  and www.pennpirg.org, offers safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that pose potential safety hazards. PennPIRG Education Fund’s research focused on four categories of toy dangers: toys that contain toxic chemicals, toys that pose choking hazards, toys that are dangerously loud, and toys that pose strangulation. 

Highlights of the report’s findings include: 

• Toxic Chemicals: Phthalates, a class of chemicals used to soften plastic toys and teethers, have been linked to a range of health effects, including reproductive defects and early onset puberty. Some manufacturers have started labeling their products as “phthalate-free.” PennPIRG Education Fund commissioned an independent laboratory to test eight children’s toys and childcare articles—all labeled “phthalate-free.” Six of these eight products tested positive for phthalates.
  

• PennPIRG Education Fund submitted a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and the CPSC, asking them to investigate the validity of “phthalate-free” labels. PennPIRG Education Fund also renewed its call for the CPSC to follow the European Union’s lead and ban phthalates in all products intended for children under age five.
  

• Choking Hazards: Choking on small parts, small balls and balloons remains a leading cause of toy-related deaths and injuries. PennPIRG Education Fund researchers found:

• Although most toys on store shelves are safe, PennPIRG Education Fund researchers still found toys for children under three with small parts and toys with small parts for children under six without the choke hazard warning required by the 1994 Child Safety Protection Act.Some toy manufacturers are over-labeling toys by placing choke hazard warnings on items that do not contain small parts. This could dilute the meaning of the warning labels, making them less useful to parents.

• Mattel, a large toy manufacturer, now includes a vague warning on some of its toys, saying “Small parts may be generated.” If a toy contains small parts or can break easily into small parts that pose a choking hazard, the company should use the warning required by law. Toys without small parts should not include this confusing label.
  

• Dangerously Loud Toys: In 2003, the American Society for Testing and Materials set voluntary acoustics standards for toys to protect children’s hearing, advising that most toys should not produce a sound louder than 90 decibels when measured from a distance of about 10 inches. PennPIRG Education Fund researchers, however, found and tested several toys that exceed the 90 decibel standard. Prolonged exposure to sounds at 85 decibels or higher can result in hearing damage.
  

• Strangulation Hazards: In June 2005, Illinois became the first state to ban the water yo-yo because of incidents in which the toy wrapped tightly around children’s necks or caused other injuries to the eyes, face and head. PennPIRG Education Fund called on CPSC to follow Illinois’ lead and ban sales of all water yo-yo ball products immediately.

When purchasing toys, Quinn said, people should follow the guidelines established by the CPSC because they will minimize the potential for injury and death. The CPSC suggests the following guidelines:
Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills, and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards to younger children. 
• For infants, toddlers, and all children who still mouth objects, avoid toys with small parts, which could pose a fatal choking hazard. 
• Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts. 
• For all children under age 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points. 
• Do not purchase electric toys with heating elements for children under age 8. 
• Be a label reader. Look for labels that give age and safety recommendations and use that information as a guide. 
• Check instructions for clarity. They should be clear to you, and when appropriate, to the child.
• Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys, which can cause suffocation, before they become deadly playthings.