Saturday, November 28, 2009

Safety Alert: Advocacy Group's Annual List of "Trouble" Toys Includes Several Items that May Be Toxic, Choking Hazards . or Just Plain Annoying

By: Roseanna Sonnenfeld

 

      The U.S. Public Interest Research Group's 2009 list of dangerous toys was released this week.  It was somewhat of a relief considering all of the troubles the toy industry has dealt with over the last couple of years.  But the organization warns and still feels as if there are many items, including some from leading toymakers that parents should be aware of and steer clear of.  Among the hazards include toys that pose potential choking hazards, toys that have potentially toxic chemicals in them, and toys that are excessively loud.  There are also several toys that do not necessarily pose a hazard but come uncomfortably or dangerously close to violating the restrictions.

 

      The fact that we have a research group that tests all of these toys is significant.  There are so many different restrictions, I feel like it would be hard for these research groups to even keep up with everything that they need to check on.  I am not a parent but I think for many parents, they probably appreciate this very much.  Because of these restrictions, parents can be calmed with information letting them know what is ok for their child to play with and what is not ok for their child to play with.  I do however think that there are some guidelines or restrictions that could be avoided if some parents would give or pay more attention to their kids.  I don't think that I would give my child a toy with potential hazards to it and then leave them alone for an amount of time.  If you think it could be harmful don't give it to your child.  But I am sure that is easier said than done.

 

Read more at http://tinyurl.com/ycocluo

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