Toxic toys are back in the news. Philadelphia parents who thought dangerous lead-paint contaminated toys had been pulled from store shelves and banned after the 2007 nationwide panic are again concerned for their children's safety. Sounding a nationwide warning that resonated with Philadelphia families, the Public Interest Research Group issued its 24th annual toy safety report yesterday and it wasn't good. Toxic toys painted with lead paint, noisy toys capable of damaging children's hearing and dangerous toys that pose serious choking hazards to young children can still be regularly found on U.S. store shelves, the group charged.
Philadelphia defective product attorneys and personal injury lawyers were as concerned as parents at the charge that so little progress had been made toward getting these dangerous and toxic toys out of Philadelphia stores. With parents combing Philadelphia stores for holiday gifts for their little ones, the potential for tragedy is highest during the December holidays.
Rebutting Public Interest Research Group charges, both the Toy Industry Association and Consumer Product Safety Commission issued separate statements geared to reassure parents that there is no cause for alarm. Government safety officials said toys offered for sale this holiday are safer than in years past.
However, last year three young children choked to death or were asphyxiated by defective toy parts. Nearly 15% of U.S. children 6 to 17 exhibit hearing loss exacerbated by toys that emit sounds exceeding 85 decibels. Toys are still being sold that contain more than 0.1% phthalate, the toxic ingredient used to make plastics flexible. Some toys were found to contain as much as 7.2% phthalate which may cause abnormal genital development in infant boys and other reproductive problems. The Public Interest Research Group also found preschool toys on store shelves containing lead paint, despite government restrictions.
Next time: What Philadelphia parents can do to protect their children.
