What do you want to know about toy safety? Posted by Don Mays at 11/16/07 03:21 PM

Parents have a lot of questions right now about lead in toys and other products, and want to know what to do. Brett Levy over at DadTalk interviewed me and asked some great questions, so go over there and take a look. In particular, he asked me whether parents should be more concerned about old house paint. Here's what I said -- and I don't think it can be said too many times or in too many places so I want to reiterate it here:

"Lead in old paint is a problem, and lead in toys is also a problem. Both can harm children, and which one is the worst for a particular child depends on whether the child has lead toys, or lives in an old house, or both. Addressing lead in toys does not prevent anyone from addressing lead in house paint.

Both problems should be addressed, and so should lack of medical care for uninsured children and a lot of other problems. Do we only address one problem at a time that affect kids and ignore all the other ones because they are not the “worst” problem? Obviously not. Lead in toys is an easy problem to solve, and we should solve it, not ignore it because some other problem might be worse for some children."

Thanks, Brett, for the chance to talk to your audience of concerned parents and thanks for everything you are doing to get the word out!

comments (8)

1 Posted by Lady Greybird at 11/16/07 11:22 PM

I just watched your cartoon about unsafe toys being imported.I really think you could provide a service by printing the dialog of the song so everyone could understand what the little character was singing about. Pictures do not alway tell the full story. Words would be a plus.
Thanks for your efforts.

2 Posted by Mina Harrington at 11/18/07 08:10 PM

You know, we may have another nightmare out there as well -- and, that is pet toys. I have been noticing that almost ALL pet toys are made in China now, and started wondering. I found this site where some tests have been done:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/09/pet_food_recalls73.html

The thing is that children and adults handle the toys when playing with the pets. The risks could be just as great (or more) with pet toys as with the contaminated toys for children.

3 Posted by james at 11/25/07 09:12 PM

I believe that Mattel essentially blamed themselves,by saying that it was "their" design flaw. I wonder did that design call for the Chinese to use lead paint. Can anyone clear this up for me?

4 Posted by Morgan Jinfrich at 11/29/07 10:48 AM

As you know, the holiday shopping season kicked off last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. And, Consumer Union Safe Shoppers hit the streets. We kicked off our 12 Days of Safe Shopping by holding four simultaneous events in Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston and New York. ( Click here to see photos and more!)

On the 12th day of Safe Shopping CU will be holding a huge event downtown San Francisco. If you would like to join us, email me, Morgan, (jindmo@consumer.org)!

Or hold your own event! We have small groups of concerned shoppers all over the country receiving Safe Shopper kits (tee-shirts, stickers, coupon books and our 12 safety tips).

In Montana, a local group, the Montana Mamas, is holding an event at a local meeting place, moms, dads and other concerned shoppers will come out and get stickers, coupons, tee-shirts and our 12 safe shopper tips.

Would you like to organize an event like them? All you have to do is tell me the details and I will FedEx you a kit for your event. Even if it is getting a group of friends together to go to a local mall, or to hand out at your work or at a house party – just let me know (jindmo@consumer.org). The kit is completely free and we will keep giving them out as long as we have materials. All we ask is that you snap a few photos and let us know how it went!

5 Posted by Ellen at 11/29/07 08:45 PM

A great source of toys online is (google) wooden toys. Many of the companies are in Vermont, use hardwood maple, non-toxic paint, and have websites for online ordering. This is a golden nugget where toys can be found that are beautiful, educational, and fun. Examples are blocks, trains with wooden tracks and trains, pull toys, rattles, and so on.

That's' where I went to buy for my littlest friends.

6 Posted by brettdl at 11/30/07 10:16 AM

I can't tell you how appreciative I am for the Q&A and link. (Sorry I couldn't make it to the event.)

7 Posted by Jennifer at 12/11/07 09:30 AM

I, sadly, have not been able to view the movie - I have tried on both Firefox, and Internet Explorer - not sure why it will not play for me. However I did "Take Action" and plan on not only telling friends and family about this but also posting something about it on my blog. This year I was/am very serious about removing lead from the toys I am giving as gifts. I made most of the items, and have bought several wood toys for my kids...In this day, it seems everyone wants kids to just "sit" to play, what ever happened to using your imagination, instead of having a TOY do all the "work" for you - Anyway...thank you for this site, and I look forward to telling my readers about it!

8 Posted by Erin Keiser at 02/04/08 10:46 PM

Please help support
H.R 4266 Katie Elise
& Meghan Agnis Act
http://chloekeiser.memory-of.com/

February 4, 2008

Dear,

Meet Chloe, my Daughter. Exactly one week before Christmas a television fell on her and she was flown to cooper hospital where john and I were told that her chances were slim and Chloe probably wouldn't make it. John and I sat with Chloe and decided that if she didn’t make it we would donate her organs. Well Monday after all of the test were run on Chloe to determine that she was brain dead john and I signed the papers to donate her organs. Well at 4:10 pm Chloe crashed and the doctors and nurses tried to bring Chloe back. It was so hard to see what they were doing to her little body that john and I made the decision to make them stop and let Chloe be our Christmas angel. John and I sat with Chloe while the nurses stopped all of the machines to keep her going and just held her and told her what a good girl she was and at 4:15pm Chloe took her last breath. As a mom no one wants to go through this so please help us.

May 7, 2005 - December 18, 2006

18 months old, beautiful baby girl gone just like that. I cry everyday, because she is gone and I want her back. because I never got enough time with her or got to see her grow into a beautiful woman.

Unfortunately, there is no law anywhere that would protect parents and caregivers against furniture tip over.
However, we hope to change that and with everyone's help we can.

As it stands now there are no laws mandating that warning labels be placed on tip able pieces of furniture or tethering devices to be provided. Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz of Pa hopes to change that. She introduce The Katie Elise and Meghan Agnes act back in 2005 which would require furniture manufactures to provide these warning labels and tethering devices. Unfortunately, the bill did not gain much support from the republicans and it just sat in Congress. The congresswoman plans on reintroducing the bill this coming February and we all hope that with the new congress, the bill will gain more support.

http://www.petitiononline.com/HR1861/petition.html

The Katie Elise Lambert Foundation was established to help protect children both inside and outside the home. If this bill would have been passed one year ago this might have saved our Chloe Girls life.

Please take the few minutes to make the difference and maybe save someone else's beautiful and precious life.

Sincerely,

John A. Keiser Jr. Chloe's Daddy
Erin F. Keiser Chloe's Mommy