Consumer Protection News

Trenton, NJ--Hazardous toys are still sold in stores across the country, according to the 22nd annual toy safety survey released today by the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG).  

“While we have seen progress after more than two decades of advocacy on behalf of America’s littlest consumers, NJPIRG’s researchers still found trouble in toyland on store shelves this month,” said NJPIRG’s Rebekah Scotland. “But recent high profile product recalls have given the state of New Jersey and the country a chance to reform product safety  and give kids the best holiday gift of all.”   

According to the most recent data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), toy-related injuries sent almost 73,000 children under the age of five to emergency rooms in 2005. Twenty children died from toy-related injuries that year.

For 22 years, the NJPIRG’s Trouble in Toyland report has offered safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that pose potential safety hazards.

NJ PIRG’s 2007 research focused on several categories of toy dangers: toys that contain lead and other chemicals, toys that pose choking hazards, toys with powerful magnets, and toys that pose strangulation hazards. “Most of the recalls this year have been for hazards identified in previous editions of the NJPIRG report—toys with excessive levels of toxic lead, small powerful magnets, and choking hazards,” Scotland noted.  “Its also particularly striking how many toxic chemicals are still present in many of our children’s toys.”

Among the findings of the 2007 Trouble In Toyland:

Lead in Toys and Children’s Jewelry: Children exposed to lead can suffer lowered IQ, delayed mental and physical development and even death.  In 2006, a four year old died of lead poisoning after he swallowed a bracelet charm that contained 99% lead.  NJPIRG researchers went to just a few stores and easily found four children’s toys or jewelry containing high, actionable levels of lead. One piece of jewelry found was 65% lead by weight, or over one thousand times current CPSC action levels.

“We’ve known for decades that lead poses serious health risks to children, yet consumers can still find lead-laden children’s jewelry and lead painted toys on store shelves,” continued Scotland.

Phthalates in children’s bath books: Phthalates are powerful reproductive toxins that are especially harmful to young children, and are found in many different kinds of toys, including rubber duckies, teethers, and baby bath books.  14 countries along with the European Union and the state of California have banned or are phasing out phthalates to protect children’s health.  NJPIRG found 2 baby bath books containing levels exceeding requirements of California’s new law limiting phthalates.

Other toy hazards found this year included toys that posed choking hazards, excessively loud toys, strangulation hazards, and small but powerful magnets.

“We need to be addressing the hazards identified in this report here in New Jersey and in Washington D.C.,” said Scotland.  “New Jersey should follow the lead of states like California and require toy’s to be toxic free.  At the same time, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, is a little agency with a big job it simply cannot do.  Congress needs to give it the tools to do that big job better.”

Scotland urges New Jersey to tackle the issue of toxic toys head on.

“There is no excuse for us to be finding lead, phthalates, or any other toxin in the toys our children play with” Scotland explained. “New Jersey has an opportunity to be part of the solution to this problem, by banning toxic chemicals from toys.”

NJPIRG was joined by Congressman Pallone, who spoke on Congress’ efforts to reform the CPSC.

"Toys are meant to entertain, educate and inspire the imagination, but not all toys are entirely safe," Pallone said.  "In Congress, I support legislative efforts that would ban lead in children's toys and require independent third-party testing of children's products before the CPSC can certify that a product is safe.  The legislation also provides the CPSC with more resources to protect consumers, including improved testing and research facilities, so that the one lonely toy tester finally gets some help."

Scotland concluded with a reminder to parents that the toy list in the NJPIRG report is only a sampling of the potential hazards on store shelves.

“Shoppers should remember that no government agency tests toys. You should examine all toys carefully for hidden dangers before you make a purchase this holiday season, and watch for further recalls,” Scotland concluded.

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NJPIRG takes on powerful interests on behalf of its members, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being.  The full report is available at www.njpirg.org. More information on toy safety is available at PIRG’s toysafety.net site.