Have You Just Bought Some of These Dangerous Toys?

Posted by blogekiyai on Monday, December 1, 2014

Reed Saxon/APThis devic! e, about 1 inch in diameter, demonstrates a small toy that is a choking hazard. In the midst of the annual holiday toy-buying frenzy, one of the nation's largest consumer advocacy groups identified two dozen toys it found for sale that could be dangerous, including some featuring popular characters.

In a report released on Monday, U.S. PIRG in its 29th annual "Trouble in Toyland" survey named 24 toys that appear pose danger to children and noted that those are just the ones they came across, and there might be more.

Despite consumer protection laws, companies continue to produce and import toys that potentially present a hazard for children.

"We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe" said Sujatha Jahagirdar, U.S. PIRG Public Health Campaign director. "However, until that's the case, parents need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys."

Among the worrisome toys found include: Disney's (DIS) Doc Mcstuffins (a figurine set in which the heads regularly break off) and Jake and the Neverland Pirates (a tambourine set with chromium). Others, like a toy sheriff's badge (made with lead) can be found at dollar stores.

"Despite consumer protection laws, companies continue to produce and import toys that potentially present a hazard for children, putting them at risk of injury or even death," the report said.

Make It Safer for Your Kids

And, the report noted, just last month a huge recall of McDonald's (MCD) Hello Kitty Happy Meal toy sets was conducted because a piece of a whistle in the set can be swallowed by small children. But not every toy that poses! a potential hazard is recalled.

The people who develop the survey each year have these safety recommendations:

Be sure the toys you buy are age-appropriate.
Beware of choking hazards, such as broken balloons, watch-sized batteries and small balls. As a guide, no toy part for a child 3 or younger should be able to fit in the opening of a toilet paper tube. Keep broken parts of toys or small pieces away from small children.
Don't allow children to play with toys that have magnets. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported incidents involving children, even older kids, who have swallowed strong magnets, causing severe damage to their gastrointestinal systems.
Avoid overly loud toys. "If it sounds too loud, it probably is."
Don't allow children to play with cords or strings that are more than a foot long.
Beware of toys with toxic chemicals. Healthystuff.org lists chemical content ratings for more than 5,000 products. Among the hazards the site tests for include BPA, lead and arsenic.
Check the CPSC for recall information, read incident reports filed by consumers and report product hazards you discover so that other consumers can read them.

The 24 Hazardous Toys

Toxic Hazards

Badge playset.
Dora the Explorer backpack.
Hello Kitty bracelet and hair clips accessory set.
Jake and the Neverland Pirates tambourine.
Leopard pattern rubber duck.

Ingestion Hazards

Buckyballs: Illegal to sell in the U.S, but was available for purchase online. Product has been recalled.
Sonic Sound Sizzlers noise magnets.
Zen Magnets mini set: Manufacturing is fighting against a recall by the CPSC.

Choking Hazards