As the 2009 holiday shopping season got under way, HKQ Kids
warned shoppers that some of the toys on store shelves could be dangerous.
To coincide with the start of the holiday shopping season, HKQ Kids
partnered with The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) to promote its groundbreaking annual report, “Trouble in Toyland,” which details potential child safety hazards posed by toys on sale this holiday season.
On Nov. 30, 2009, at the Kingston office of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn, representatives of HKQ Kids
were joined by Megan DeSmedt, State Director of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG), who
discussed the report’s findings and demonstrated how numerous toys now on store shelves could pose safety hazards for children.
Coverage of the event was featured in
the Times Leader's Dec. 1, 2009,
edition, as well as WBRE-TV News. In
addition, Attorney Quinn appeared live
on WBRE-TV's morning show Dec. 1, 2009,
to demonstrate potential dangers posed
by specific toys.
Free copies of the 24th annual “Trouble in Toyland” report, which
was released Nov. 24, 2009, are available to the public at the law firm’s office at 600 Third Avenue, Kingston,
or by CLICKING
HERE. More information can be
found on PennPIRG's web site at www.pennpirg.org.
“Every year, USPIRG identifies numerous toys that pose potential safety hazards for children,” said Attorney Michelle Quinn, spokeswoman for HKQ Kids. “We hope that by raising public awareness of the ‘Trouble in Toyland’ report, we can help educate the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania how to avoid
potentially dangerous toys.”
According to the most recent data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission,
toy-related injuries resulted in more
than 82,000 emergency room visits by
children under 5 during 2008. A total of
19 children died from toy-related
injuries the same year.
The “Trouble in Toyland” report
offers safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children and provides
examples of toys currently on store shelves that could pose safety hazards.
The report focuses on toys that could pose choking hazards, toys with
loud noises that could cause hearing
damage, and toys that contain
toxins and lead.
HKQ Kids, the Hourigan, Kluger &
Quinn Fund for Children’s Advocacy, was founded in 2005 by the law firm of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn to promote public awareness of issues affecting the safety of children in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and sponsor programs to educate parents, children, educators and the general public about child safety hazards.
It is administered by the Luzerne
Foundation.
2006
Project with Magic 93 and U.S. PIRG
Magic
93 deejay Frankie Warren, left,
and HKQ Kids spokeswoman
Attorney Michelle Quinn talk
about holiday toy safety in a TV
campaign
during the 2006 holiday season
in Northeastern Pennsylvania. WATCH
TV SPOT (Windows
Media Player)
In
2006, HKQ Kids partnered with Magic 93 FM
and its morning deejay Frankie Warren, a
longtime advocate for children's causes, to
promote HKQ Kids' safety programs. For the
2006 holiday season, Warren and HKQ Kids
spokeswoman attorney Michelle Quinn produced
a television advertising campaign focusing
on the "4 Keys to Holiday Toy
Safety" recommended by the Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
They are:
For children under 3, avoid toys with
small parts, which can cause choking.
Select toys to suit the age, abilities,
skills and interest level of the
intended child.
For children under 8, avoid toys with sharp
edges and electric toys with heating parts.
Look for labels with age and safety advice.
In addition to the TV campaign, HKQ Kids
and Magic 93 also worked with U.S.
PIRG
to publicize and distribute copies of
its annual groundbreaking report,
"Trouble in Toyland." For a copy of the report,
CLICK
HERE.
HKQ
spokeswoman Attorney Michelle Quinn,
left, and Beth McConnell, state
director for PennPIRG, display
toys that pose safety risks for
children.
In November 2005, HKQ Kids
brought Beth McConnell, state director
for the Pennsylvania Public Interest
Research Group (PennPIRG), to
Northeastern Pennsylvania to
demonstrate how dozens of toys on the
shelves for the holiday shopping season
could pose dangers to children.
Every year, PennPIRG issues a
comprehensive report, "Trouble in
Toyland," which details potential
safety threats posed by dozens of toys
on the market. The 2005 edition marked
the organization's 20th annual
"Trouble in Toyland" report.
During a news conference
Nov. 23, 2005, at the law offices of
Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn in
Kingston, Ms. McConnell demonstrated for
members of the media how a variety of
toys can pose risks of choking or
strangulation, how some toys could be
toxic, how some can cause hearing damage
and how others can act as projectiles, among other things. She also
conducted interviews with area TV and
radio personalities to talk about
PennPIRG's annual findings.
FOR A COMPLETE COPY OF
"TROUBLE IN TOYLAND," which
details all the potential dangers of
toys on the shelves this holiday
shopping season, CLICK
HERE.
For children under 3, avoid toys with
small parts, which can cause choking.
