‘Tis the Season to Beware of Dangerous Toys

November 2006

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, do you know which dangerous toys are still being sold? The most current data from 2005 reported that 73,000 children under the age of 5 were treated in emergency rooms with toy-related injuries, and 20 children died.

The U.S. Public Interest Group (PIRG) released their 21st-annual toy safety survey that focused on the following categories of toy dangers:

• Choking Hazards- PIRG found toys for children under the age of 3 with small parts that did not have a choke hazard warning. In September, Playskool recalled the Team Talkin’ Tool Bench after two children died from suffocation when they swallowed a toy nail. PIRG said several toys are still being sold with parts that have similar suffocation hazards.
• Magnetic Toys- Magnets are becoming more popular in children’s toys and this poses a very serious danger if more than one magnet is swallowed. The magnets can attract in the body causing bowel obstruction or life-threatening perforations. The most recent magent recall included 4.4 million Polly Pocket magnetic playsets after three children were hospitalized with serious injuries. The year before, MEGA Brands’ Magnetix toys led to death of a boy.
• Lead in Jewelry- Children exposed to lead can experience delayed mental and physical development or even death. This was the case in February when a 4-year-old died of lead poisoning after swallowing a charm bracelet that contained 99% lead. PIRG found four items of toy jewelry with high lead levels, in just a few store visits.
• Strangulation Hazards- The CPSC continues their warning on water yo-yo balls after receiving 400 reports of injuries to the face, eyes and neck since the yo-yo was put back on the market three years ago. PIRG has asked the CPSC to ban these immediately.

Please keep in mind these dangers when shopping for toys this holiday season. One death is one too many.

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