Hasbro recalls 330,000 Nerf blasters

Hasbro has recalled 330,000 of its Nerf blasters after 46 children between the ages of 4 and 12 were injured while shooting the gun's foam darts. The problem is that the plunger can pull the user’s skin during firing of the toy resulting in injury to the face, neck and/or chest, according to the recall notice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The reported injuries include bruising, abrasions, pinching/pinch marks, blood blisters and welts.

The bright orange and yellow guns have a black handle and orange plunger, trigger and reload clip. The word “NERF” in black lettering is on both sides of the blaster and the word “ARMED” is indented on the orange plunger. “RECON CS-6” is on the gray cocking mechanism. There are five interchangeable parts including the shoulder stock, the flip-up sight, barrel extension, quick re-load clip and dual-mode light beam. Model number 63552 and UPC codes 653569272021 and 653569311218 can be found on the packaging. Only blasters with an exposed orange plunger are included in this recall.

The blasters were sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys 'R' Us, discount stores and toy stores nationwide from November 2007 through August 2008 for about $20. The CPSC advises consumers to stop using the guns and contact Hasbro for a free cylindrical cover to prevent additional injuries. For more information, contact Hasbro toll-free at (800) 245-0910 or visit the firm’s Web site at www.hasbro.com/nerf

At Hasbro's Web site, consumers can find a form to fill out requesting the cover as well as a video that shows how to make the repair.

Clearing the shelves of lead-tainted toys

The recent trouble in toyland, punctuated by massive recalls of lead-tainted toys, will soon become a problem of the past.  In a major victory for consumers the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, signed into law on August 14th, sets new, tougher standards for lead in children's products. Current regulations limit the permissible level of lead in paint and surface coatings to no more than 600 parts per million (ppm).  But there are no limits set for lead in vinyl, composite metals, or other materials used in the manufacture of children's products.

That changes on February 10th of next year. On that date, any children's product on the market that contains more than 600 ppm of accessible lead will be considered a banned hazardous substance and will be subject to immediate recall. The CPSC says the new law applies to all children's products regardless of when they were manufactured.

Our previous concerns about lead in children's lunch boxes and two Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuffs, which slipped through regulatory loopholes, have been addressed by these new standards.    

The lead limit for children's products gets even tighter in the future.  In August 2009, the limit will be lowered to 300 ppm and in three years it will be reduced even further to 100 ppm, if technologically feasible.  Since trace amounts of lead are ever-present in our environment, it's difficult to reduce lead levels to zero, but these new limits will make children’s products much safer than they are now. 

Additionally, the new law will reduce the limit for lead in paint from 600 ppm to 90 pp, effective August 14, 2009. 

President signs landmark product safety bill into law

This morning President Bush signed landmark product safety reform legislation into law. Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, teamed up with a broad coalition of consumer, public interest and scientific groups to help push the critical new law through Congress and, after over a year of fighting, convinced President Bush to sign the strongest legislation possible.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 marks the most significant overhaul of the Consumer Product Safety Commission since that agency was established in the 1970s.

The groundbreaking new law will make consumer products safer by requiring that toys and infant products be tested before they are sold and by banning lead and phthalates in toys. The bill will also require the CPSC to create a publicly accessible consumer product safety complaint database, give the CPSC the resources it needs to better protect the public, significantly increase the limit on civil penalties that CPSC can assess against violators of safety laws, and  protect whistleblowers who report product safety defects.

“This long-overdue law gives the CPSC the shot in the arm that it desperately needs,” says Ami Gadhia, Policy Counsel with Consumers Union.  “It is now up to the CPSC to use the tools given to it by this law, and restore the confidence of consumers in the products on store shelves.”

Among the the specific changes called for in the new law:

• Lead will be essentially eliminated from all children’s products.
• Toys and other children’s products will be required to be tested for safety before they are sold.
• Toxic phthalates will be banned from children's products.
• CPSC will receive substantial increases in its resources including its budget, staffing levels, computer resources and its various authorities to conduct recalls and take other actions.
• CPSC will have the authority to levy more significant civil penalties against violators of its safety regulations, which will help deter wrongdoing.
• The CPSC will be restored to five commissioners but quorum will be immediately restored with the two current commissioners in power.
• State Attorneys General will have the necessary authority to enforce product safety laws.
• Consumers will have access to a public database to report and learn about hazards posed by unsafe products.
• Whistleblowers will be granted important protections.

“This Act is the legacy of the countless children, including Danny Keysar, whose parents founded Kids In Danger, who have been killed or injured by unsafe children's products and toys,” says Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger. “It is to honor their memories that we must now undertake the implementation of this landmark measure.”

A key portion of the legislation, dealing with the safety of juvenile products such as cribs, high chairs and strollers, is named in Danny Keysar’s honor. Ten years ago, Danny was strangled to death at his licensed daycare facility when a portable crib collapsed, trapping his neck in the V of the folded rails. He was 16 months old.

Other groups involved in the broad coalition that was instrumental in pushing through the legislation include the Consumer Federation of America, Public Citizen's Congress Watch, U.S. PIRG's Consumer Program, the National Research Center for Women and Families, and the Scientific Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Although the legislation was the subject of long and intense debates in Congress, the final version was passed overwhelmingly by the House on July 30, 2008 by a vote of 424-1 and by the Senate on July 31, 2008 by a vote of 89-3.

Toys or candy? Mixed messages put children at risk

As a parent of young children, I know how hard it is to get them to put the right things in their mouths and to keep the wrong things out. Now some companies are making that message harder to deliver.

Several years ago we found hard candy that looked like Lego bricks, the popular building-block toy. Those candy blocks are still on the market today where bulk candy is sold. We thought it was a bad idea then to make candy that looks like toys—we still do—but apparently Kellogg’s doesn’t. The cereal giant teamed up with the Lego toymaker on Lego Fun Snacks—colored, gummy candy blocks shaped like Lego bricks and sold at grocery stores. Our fear, of course, is that young children will get confused.

While some consumers are having fun with this ill-advised combination on YouTube, to safety advocates it's no laughing matter.

Kellogg’s and Lego are not the only companies guilty of bad judgment. We found several other products on the market that send mixed messages to children:

• Juice Bubbles Scented Bubbles come packaged in what looks like a kid’s juice box. It’s even labeled: “Orange Juice.” But a smaller label on the box says,“For Blowing, Not for Drinking.” It also says it’s non-toxic. Good thing.
• Madelaine "crayons" are milk chocolate wrapped up to look like the chunky coloring sticks. But you try to explain to your toddler why the little one can eat one type of crayon and not the other.
• Hello Kitty candy perfume comes in a small pink plastic pump sprayer that looks like a perfume bottle. While the liquid candy inside is safe to ingest, we can’t say the same for your favorite bottle of Chanel No. 5.

It’s not illegal to sell candy that looks like toys or vice versa, but it’s a really bad idea. (In the U.S. it is illegal to embed non-edibles in sweets.) Each year, about 15 children under the age of three choke to death on non-edibles. As parents, we work hard to keep our message clear. We expect no less from the companies that make products for children.

For more on choking hazards, see “6 tips to prevent a choking accident.” —Don Mays

CPSC recalls 1 million Little Tikes toy cell phones

One million Little Tikes toy cell phones were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission today because the hinge cover of the toy can detach and pose a choking hazard. The CPSC has received one report of a child beginning to choke on a small part and three reports of the toy breaking into smaller pieces.

The multicolored flip-style phones have 10 numeric keys and three buttons with pictures of animals. They were sold individually and as part of a set in department, juvenile product and drug stores nationwide from June 2006 through March 2008 for $8 (individually) and $20 (part of a set). The phones have a sticker on the back with model number KSL4010 (sold separately) or KSL8032, KSL8033, or KSL8051 (sold with other items). Phones with a visible screw on the hinge cover are not part of the recall.

The CPSC advises consumers to take the toy phones away from young children immediately and contact the manufacturer, Kids Station Toys International Ltd. of Miami, Fla., for instructions on obtaining a free replacement. For additional information, contact Kids Station toll-free at (888) 620-0930 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.kidsstationtoys.com.

First the toys, now the toy bin

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall Thursday of 84,000 children’s storage bins. The pastel pink or lime green paint on the bins has excessive levels of lead, which violates the federal lead-paint standard. The bins were sold at Lowe’s from March 2007 through February 2008.

The storage bins are wooden with scalloped edges and were sold in pastel colors. Only the pink (item number 226781) and green (item number 226782) bins have been recalled. If you own one, the CPSC advises that you take it away from children immediately. You can return it to Lowe’s for a full refund. For more information, contact the importer, L G Sourcing, at (866) 493-6563 or go to www.Lowes.com.

No injuries have been reported from this product, but the potential dangers of lead exposure include developmental and learning disorders.

While you are examining your toy box, also take a look at the toys inside and check to see if any have been recalled lately. Recalls covered on this blog include not only toys that contain lead, but those that pose a choking hazard and others that contain tiny magnets that can cause intestinal damage if swallowed.

Nintendo recalls 71,000 character pins that violate lead standard

Nintendo has recalled 12 lapel pins of characters from its popular video games because the metal pins contain high levels of lead. The 71,000 pins were sold at two Nintendo stores—in New York, NY and Redmond, WA—or given away to employees at electronics and game stores nationwide.

The lapel pins vary in size from 1- to 2-inches in height and portray the characters Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mario, Mario Kart, Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Starfox, Waluigi and Wario. They were sold individually between April 2004 and November 2007 for between $1.50 and $4. Mario, Princess Peach and Samus were also sold as a set. In that same period, the recalled lapel pins were distributed as promotions to employees at electronics and game stores around the country.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the recall, advised consumers to immediately stop wearing the lapel pins and to contact Nintendo to receive a free replacement pin by calling (800) 431-0971 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visiting the firm’s Web site www.nintendo.com. Images of all 12 pins can be found on both the CPSC and Nintendo Web sites.

Toy industry moves toward safety certification program

Recently I attended a meeting jointly held by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a voluntary standards certification organization, and the Toy Industry Association (TIA), a trade group that represents toy makers. As a result of the record number of unsafe toys recalled last year, the organizations have formed the Toy Safety Coordination Initiative, a developing program that is designed to improve the safety conformance of toys sold in American and to rebuild consumer confidence in the safety of toys in the American marketplace. The program was developed with input from manufacturers, retailers, testing labs, government agencies and consumers.

The program has three components:

1. A requirement for a risk assessment or design hazard analysis to be conducted on all new toy designs;
2. A factory audit and accreditation program that should help ensure that toys be made following Good Manufacturing Practice;
3. Compliance tests of toy samples from the production line to help ensure that toys meet industry and government safety standards.

The end result will be a safety certification mark for toys that pass all three requirements, much like the UL, ETL or CSA listed marks found on virtually all plug-in electrical products.

Although this toy safety initiative is a major step forward in helping prevent unsafe toys from finding their way to the market, at CU we think the proposed program does not go far enough. We are particularly concerned that the program does not require frequent enough sampling of production lots to ensure that toys have been manufactured to high levels of safety. Moreover, it does not require marketplace surveillance to uncover any holes in the safety net. But the toy industry members argue that they are depending on rigorous improvements in factory control processes to result in toys that comply with safety standards.

The safety certification mark, which may appear on packaging and the toys themselves, has not yet been designed. Consumer recognition of a new safety mark will require plenty of marketing and consumer education campaigns. We think the toy industry should seize this unique opportunity to create a mark that not only signals compliance with safety standards but also can be used to communicate the safe age range of a toy.

Similar marks already exist in Europe. Toys sold in the EU are required to carry a CE mark (see image)
that indicates the manufacturer’s self-declaration that the toy meets standards. European toys that have small parts that could pose choking hazards are also labeled with another mark that communicates those hazards. Using an international symbol that shows unsafe use for children in certain age ranges such as 0-3, 0-8 and so forth, can help prevent parents and caregivers from putting children in harms way by giving them age-inappropriate toys.

(The ANSI/TIA team specifically rejected including self-declarations by manufacturers as part of its program. Instead, independent testing and certification would be used.)

We are hoping to see further improvements to the proposed ANSI/TIA Toy Safety Cooperation Initiative. We would also like to see the groups move quickly to put a good process in place that will allow all consumers to breathe more easily when the next holiday season arrives. —Don Mays

Recall alert: CPSC pulls lead-tainted teeth and pens

Plastic "hillbilly" teeth and pens with a seasonal theme were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission Thursday as part of the agency's ongoing effort to rid the marketplace of products that violate the lead paint standard. Most alarming, because ingesting lead has been linked to developmental and learning disorders, was the recall of 26,000 sets of play teeth in which the gray surface paint was lead-tainted.  The recall was similar to one made last fall of Halloween "ugly" teeth.  More than 310,000 pens sold at Michaels Stores were also recalled. Here are the details:

Funtastic Hillbilly Teeth
How many:  26,000
Description: This recall involves a two-pack of fake Hillbilly Teeth with item # 2657. The item number is printed on the packaging. The gums are brown and the teeth are yellow.
Sold at: Grocery, drug, convenience and mass retailers nationwide from March 2005 through March 2008 for about $2.
What to do: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Funtastic for information on receiving a refund by calling (800) 434-5207 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visiting the company’s Web site at www.funtastictoy.com.

Michaels seasonal writing pens
How many: 310,000
Description: The pens were sold individually as one of a series of four including Flower Writer, Christmas Writer, Easter Writer and Spooky Writer. Each pen has themed decorations including flowers, Christmas, Easter and Halloween ornamentation.
Sold exclusively at: Michaels retail stores nationwide from August 2007 through March 2008 for about $1.
What to do: Consumers should stop using the recalled pens immediately and return them to any Michaels store to receive a refund. For additional information, contact Michaels’ customer service at (800) 642-4235 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.michaels.com.

Don't get stung by these recalled insects

More than 300,000 plush Cuddly Cousin insect toys were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission today because the toys have small parts that can become detached and pose a choking hazard. The six different bugs—a lady bug, bumble bee, caterpillar, snail and two butterflies—were sold at dollar stores nationwide from March to December of last year.

The bugs came in a variety of colors with the product number 903995 and UPC of 6 39277 03995 8 with a date code of 71. They were sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks, Only One $1 and Deal$ stores. The CPSC recommends that consumers immediately take the plush toys from their children and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund. For additional information, contact Dollar Tree Stores Inc. at (800) 876-8077 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.dollartree.com.

2.4 million toys containing magnets recalled

More than 2.4 million magnetic toys were recalled today and Thursday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission because the magnets can become detached, aspirated or swallowed and cause possible intestinal damage. The CPSC has received multiple reports of the magnets coming loose including one report of a 3-year-old boy receiving medical treatment to remove a magnet from his nasal cavity and one report of an 18-month-old boy with a magnet in his mouth, which was not swallowed.

Today's two large recalls were of MEGA Brands action figures and building sets (right). And on Thursday Battat expanded its January 23rd recall of construction sets by 7,000 from 125,000 units to 132,000. These recalls are sadly reminiscent of the millions of magnetic toys that were recalled last year. Given the ongoing problems with these toys, and the potential for serious injury or death, we continue to recommend that parents avoid all magnetic toys as well as other items containing small magnets if there are young children in the home. Parents should take any magnet toys away from small children and also scout around for any magnets that may have fallen out.

Last year, the CPSC issued a safety alert about the serious dangers magnets pose to children. As the agency pointed out, "small magnets can kill children if two or more are swallowed.  If two or more magnets or magnetic components or a magnet and another metal object (such as a small metal ball) are swallowed separately, they can attract one another through intestinal walls.  This traps the magnets in place and can cause holes (perforations), twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning (sepsis), and death. When multiple magnets are ingested surgery is required to remove the magnets and sometimes sections of the intestines need to be removed."

One family we know learned all too well about the dangers of the magnetic toy Magnetix, which was recalled last year, when their son was hospitalized after swallowing several magnets. Tegan Leisy of Colorado, then 3, had to undergo emergency surgery to remove six to eight magnets that had become attracted through his intestinal walls causing 11 perforations. His father, Tate Leisy, has chosen to speak out on the subject. "I would hate to see this happen to another parent," he said, adding, " ... it will probably happen again and continue to happen if [toy companies] keep selling this toy or similar versions."

Although there are no federal regulations on magnets, the current voluntary toy safety standard, ASTM F963, requires tests to make sure magnets don’t fall out of toys. Congress is currently working on final legislation to send to the President for signature that would make this voluntary ASTM standard mandatory. With this legislative reform, hazardous magnetic toys could be eliminated from the marketplace. In addition, the current voluntary standard is in the process of being strengthened so that, if approved, it will result in the elimination of toys with components containing magnets that are small enough to fit into a small-parts test cylinder.  The cylinders are available where childproofing products are sold.   

Here are the details of the recent recalls:

MEGA Brands MagnaMan magnetic action figures
How many: 1.3 million
Incidents: MEGA Brands and CPSC have received 25 reports of magnets coming loose from the figures.
Description: The recalled MagnaMan magnetic toys are figures that have body parts that attach with magnets. They come in either a “Futuristic Warrior” or “Ancient Warrior” theme. Each figure comes with three accessories.
Sold at: Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, K-Mart and other toy stores nationwide from January 2005 through December 2007 for about $10.
Remedy: Consumers should return the toys to MEGA Brands for a free replacement toy. For additional information, contact MEGA Brands at (800) 779-7122 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.megabrands.com.

MEGA Brands Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school magnetic toys
How many: 1.1 million
Incidents: MEGA Brands and CPSC have received 19 reports of magnets coming loose, including one report of a 3-year-old boy receiving medical treatment to remove a magnet from his nasal cavity and one report of an 18-month-old boy with a magnet in his mouth, which was not swallowed.
Description: The Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school magnetic toys include small flexible parts embedded with magnets that allow the parts to connect to large, colored metal balls. (Top right)
Sold at: Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, K-Mart and other toy stores nationwide from January 2005 through December 2007 for between $10 and $40.
Remedy: Same as above.

Battat Magnabild magnetic building toys or sets
How many: 7,000 (125,000 other Battat Magnabild building systems were recalled on January 23)
Incidents: CPSC and Battat have received 16 reports of magnets coming out of the building pieces.
Description: This recall involves the 108-piece (item number BB1439H) and the 68-piece (item number BAT-34) Magnabild Magnetic building system sets. The 108-piece set comes in a rotating display case containing 60 1-inch rods with magnets and 48 metal balls. The 68-piece set comes in a window box and contains 44 1-inch rods with magnets and 24 metal balls. The rods come in different colors. All of the plastic building pieces have the word “Magnabild” in raised lettering on them. “BB1439H” is found on a hang tag attached to the display case. “BAT-34” is found on the box.
Sold at: Various retailers nationwide and online sellers from July 2005 through February 2008 for between $20 and $35.
Remedy: Consumers should contact Battat to receive a pre-paid mailer to return the toy and to receive a free replacement product. Contact Battat Inc. at (800) 247-6144 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET or visit the firm’s Web site at www.battatco.com.

The 'surprise' in Kinder eggs may be a choking hazard

Ever since we wrote about the choking hazards of toys encased in hollow Easter eggs around this time last year, we've been getting comments from devotees who see no issue with the chocolate novelty. While we realize the Kinder Surprise eggs, made by Italy's Ferrero Group, are popular worldwide and considered a collector's item by some, we want to issue a reminder that the Surprise eggs have been banned in the United States since 1997, when the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned that the toys could pose a choking hazard to children under 3. (That same year, Nestle voluntarily withdrew a similar product, Nestle Magic.)

The CPSC banned the product because the toy surprise hidden inside can pose choking and aspiration hazards to children younger than three years of age. The Kinder eggs are hollow milk chocolate eggs about the size of a large hen's egg in a colorful foil wrapper. The toy within the egg is contained in an oval-shaped plastic capsule. The small toy requires assembly and each egg contains a different one. The labeling is in various languages.

Kinder Surprise also falls afoul of a provision in the 1938 Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which prohibits embedding "nonnutritive items" in confections. Despite the ban, which is fully honored by Ferrero's U.S. arm, Surprise eggs are widely available here, with many imported by companies specializing in foods from countries where the product is legally available. The eggs pictured above, for example, come from Poland, and were purchased for $1.59 each in a suburban New York gourmet food store. A Consumers Union staffer recently confirmed they are available in a small supermarket near our offices in Westchester County, New York. They are also widely available along the U.S.-Canadian border, since they're legal in Canada. Surprise eggs are also easily purchased on the Internet, from ethnic importers and candy merchants.

If you really want to surprise your kids this Easter, you can consider getting them candy and toys separately. Mixing the two, especially when the toy is embedded inside the candy as it is with the Surprise egg, sends a mixed message about what is and isn't edible, and puts younger children at risk. If your child receives a Kinder egg, the CPSC recommends taking it away.

CPSC takes aim at another magnetic toy

Despite the game's reassuring name, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently recalled 250,000 Fun ‘n Safe Magnetic Dart Boards sold at Family Dollar stores. As the agency noted, the darts are anything but safe. The small magnet at the end of each dart can detach and, if found by young children, be swallowed or aspirated. If two or more magnets or magnetic components are swallowed separately, they can attract one another through intestinal walls.  This traps the magnets in place and can cause holes (perforations), twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning (sepsis), and even death.

No such incidents or injuries have been reported with the recalled toy, which is fortunate given that the sets have been for sale since January 2001.

But as we’ve reported here before, scores of children have had to undergo delicate surgery to have magnets from toys removed from their digestive systems. And one child died after swallowing multiple magnets. The CPSC announced its first  recall of magnet toys in March 2006, which makes us wonder why it took so long for this product to be recalled.

Consumers who have the dart game should take the darts away from children immediately and return the set to a Family Dollar store for a refund. If any magnets have fallen out of the darts, make sure they are accounted for and dispose of them. For more information visit www.familydollar.com or call (800) 547-0359 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Lightweight batteries in remote-controlled aircraft may pose a fire hazard

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning about an emerging fire hazard from the battery technology used with remote-controlled helicopters and airplanes.

In the past four months, the agency has received 26 reports of remote-controlled helicopters igniting while being charged and one report of a helicopter igniting while in flight. Minor burns and property damage were reported.

The CPSC, in an alert issued last week, said that it was concerned about the toys' rechargeable lithium batteries (lithium-ion or lithium polymer). The batteries are favored for toys because they are lighter but they pack a lot of power in a small package “so consumers should use caution when charging and handling them,” the agency said. “Overcharging them can result in overheating, fire and/or explosion.”

CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese added that the agency is investigating to see whether this problem is specific to remote-controlled helicopters and airplanes or is a bigger issue affecting other products as well.

Meanwhile, the agency issued a recall for one specific remote-controlled toy, the Fun2Fly Microcopter helicopter made in China, imported by Soft Air USA Inc. and sold in sporting good stores and other retailers from May 2006 through December 2007. The agency said that the rechargeable battery inside the helicopter may catch fire during charging, igniting the helicopter and nearby combustible materials. Soft Air USA has received six reports of helicopters igniting, including one minor injury. Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the recalled toy and return it to the retailer where it was purchased for a full refund.

The CPSC recommends that all users of remote-controlled toys containing rechargeable lithium batteries take the following safety precautions:

• Do not leave a toy unattended while charging it.
• Have adults do the battery charging.
• Charge the toy on a non-flammable surface and keep it away from flammable items.
• Turn off the charger when the toy’s battery is charged and always unplug it from the toy.
• Disconnect the AC wall chargers from outlets while not in use.
• If the toy has been damaged, immediately stop using it, unplug it and safely remove the toy from flammable materials.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging the toy and do not charge the toy longer than recommended.

Congress faults Mattel on failure to recall toy cuff

Nearly five dozen congressmen this week fired off a letter to the chairman of Mattel, which owns Fisher-Price, asking the company to immediately withdraw from sale toy medical kits including blood pressure cuffs that have tested high for lead. So far, Mattel has only pulled its toy blood pressure cuffs—a red one and a green one—from sale in Illinois because that state’s law limits lead in all children's products, whatever the material, to 600 parts per million.

As you may have read here earlier, our December issue featured an investigation,“New worries over lead,” in which we reported finding high lead levels when we tested samples of a red Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff. As a result, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan conducted her own investigation and the product (contained in the Fisher-Price Medical Kit) was pulled from store shelves in the state. Less than two weeks later, the attorney general announced a similar problem—and recall—with a green blood-pressure cuff that was part of another Fisher-Price product, the Sesame Street Giggle toy medical kit.

Mattel has said that the levels of lead, while higher than anticipated, are "fully compliant" with all federal regulations and thus do not merit a national recall.

But the congressmen, led by Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), said the company needs to be more proactive and pull the product nationwide. “If this product is too dangerous for the children of Illinois, it is too dangerous for children in the rest of this country,” the letter said.

Mattel has said that over 70 percent of the two medical kits have been returned to the company, a return rate significantly higher than ordinary recalls. However, that figure includes returns from large retailers, and consumers who have the products in their home typically have a lower response rate than retailers. Mattel is offering a replacement part for families who already own the cuffs; consumers can call Fisher-Price at (800)-298-0638.

We look forward to hearing Mattel's response to Congress.

Will fines follow last year's record recalls?

In the last three months of 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued 167 recalls, according to the Product Safety Letter, an independent newsletter that tracks product-safety issues. That’s almost 50 percent higher than the same period a year earlier and more than double the number issued the year before that. Many of those recalls were for toys that violated the lead-paint ban.

We may have turned the page on 2007, but many of last year's recalls remain fresh in the minds of CPSC officials. The agency is now investigating whether any companies should be fined for those safety breaches. As CPSC’s spokeswoman Julie Vallese told us, “It is unlikely that manufacturers will be getting off scot-free for violating the lead-paint ban.” 

It will be interesting to see just how far the CPSC goes in “punishing” the manufacturers that repeatedly violated regulations. The agency has the power to impose financial penalties on companies that violate mandatory safety standards, such as lead paint regulations, but the agency’s track record hasn't been great for levying those fines. In the relatively few instances over the past few years when the agency has fined firms, it has issued civil penalties based on a single reason: failure to report possible defects in a timely manner. Last month, for example, HSN LP (previously known as Home Shopping Network), agreed to pay a civil penalty of $875,000 to settle allegations that the company failed to report in a timely manner serious injuries and hazards with the Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cookers. 

More than 25 million children’s toys were recalled in 2007. Some of those recalls were for lead paint, toxic chemicals, and other hazards for which there are mandatory standards in place; other recalls involved toys that were defective. But last year Fisher-Price was the only toy company to be assessed civil penalties. Even then, the fine was just $975,000 for failing to report to the CPSC injuries associated with a defective toy (Little People Animal Sounds Farm) uncovered years ago, not for the violation.

The Commission usually doesn't issue fines for the safety violation itself because the burden of proof is far higher and more procedurally complicated than it is for issuing recalls. And with limited resources, agency representatives say it has preferred to spend its time, money and staff on preventative and corrective actions such as product recalls.

We at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, are well aware of the agency’s current limited resources and have been pushing Congress hard to pass the legislation necessary to boost the CPSC's budget and authority. But we think the agency should consider using some of its valuable resources right now to more aggressively pursue companies that violate mandatory safety standards. And later on, when the CPSC has more resources at its disposal and the authority to levy higher fines, we hope it will have the courage to slap some meaningful fines on companies for violating safety standards—not just violating the reporting rules—so that all companies will be more vigilant in producing quality, defect-free goods in the first place.

Manufacturers of unsafe products are also facing another type of penalty in the form of class-action lawsuits. Last week, RC2 Corporation, the maker of Thomas the Tank Engine, agreed to a proposed settlement valued at approximately $30 million to settle a nationwide class-action lawsuit representing families that purchased lead-laden toy trains. The agreement also includes toy exchanges and refund programs. Other similar actions may follow. And that could become a strong incentive for manufacturers to ramp up their product safety assurance practices.

We’d  like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Do you think civil penalties should be levied against those companies that brought all those toys with lead paint to the market? Or do you think the bad publicity and threat of lawsuits many of these companies faced is sufficient?  Please post your comments below.

New recall of magnetic toys highlights warning on dangers

Two Magnabild magnetic building sets, totaling 125,000 units, have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission because the small, powerful magnets inside the pieces can fall out and be swallowed. If multiple magnets are ingested, they can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

The CPSC and Battat, the company that makes Magnabild, have received 16 reports of magnets coming out of the rod or square building pieces. No injuries have been associated with this recall.

Last year, the CPSC identified magnets as one of five hidden home hazards following the recall of millions of Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets. Since 2005, one death and 86 injuries have been linked to magnets and 8 million magnetic toys have been recalled.

This latest recall involves the 293-piece (item number BB1502H) and the 180-piece (item number BB1431H) Magnabild Magnetic Building System sets. Both sets come in rotating display cases with building pieces in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors that contain small magnets. All of the plastic building pieces, except the 4-inch flexible rods, have the word “Magnabild” in raised lettering on them. The item number is found on a hang tag attached to the set. They were sold at various retailers and online sellers from 2005 through 2007 for between $30 and $40.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled sets away from children and contact Battat to receive a pre-paid mailer to return the toy and to receive a free replacement product. For additional information, contact Battat at (800) 247-6144 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.battatco.com.

Wooden block and train recall
Also this week, the CPSC recalled two sets of wooden blocks and a wooden train sold at Christmas Tree Shops under the First Learning brand because the surface paint violates lead standards. The recall involves 15,000 units including 30-block sets, 60-block sets and 70-piece train sets. The items were sold at Christmas Tree Shops located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions from October 2006 through November 2007 for between $4 and $20. For additional information, contact Christmas Tree Shops at (888) 287-3232 or visit the firm’s Web site at www.christmastreeshops.com.

Major retailers make several post-holiday recalls

Holiday gifts including a popular board game, a play stove and decorative candles were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission today for various hazards. About 17,000 "My First Kenmore" pink play stoves were recalled by Sears and Kmart after a child was bruised when a stove tipped over. Cranium recalled 38,000 of its widely-sold Cadoo board games because the paint on the die contains lead. And 185,000 decorative candles were recalled by Pottery Barn after reports that gold paint on the outside of the candles had ignited on at least two occasions.

My First Kenmore stove
According to the CPSC's announcement, a metal bracket connecting the door to the stove can cause the stove to tip over when the door is opened. To stabilize the stove, parents are advised to remove the bracket. A diagram that details how to do so is featured on the Sears Web site. The stoves, which are almost 33-inches tall, were sold at Sears and Kmart nationwide from September 2007 through November 2007 for about $100. For additional information, contact Sears/Kmart at (800) 659-7026 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Saturday, or visit either www.sears.com or www.kmart.com.

Cranium Cadoo board game
Cadoo board games with lot numbers 2007195 through 2007244 are included in this recall because the die violates lead paint standards. The seven digit lot number is printed under the plastic tray on the bottom half of the box. The games were sold at Fred Meyer, Kmart, Shopko, Wal-Mart and specialty game stores nationwide between October 2007 through January 2008 for about $20.

Cranium is asking consumers to immediately dispose of the die and to contact the company to get a free replacement. For additional information, contact Cranium at (877) 272- 6486 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.cranium.com.

Pottery Barn decorative candles
This recall involves egg-shaped and large and small round candles sold in three sizes because the exterior paint is a fire hazard. The candles were sold in green, red and white with gold glitter and leaf designs at Pottery Barn stores from September 2007 through December 2007 for between $10 and $20. Consumers should stop using the candles and return them to any Pottery Barn store for a full refund. For additional information, contact Pottery Barn toll-free at (888) 922-9245 between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. ET Monday through Sunday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.potterybarn.com.

Other recent recalls

• 1,300 Wick & Petal jar candles due to fire hazard
• 600 photo frames sold at Babies R Us for lead paint violation
• 5,400 toy wrestler action figures sold at dollar stores for lead paint violation
• 60,000 Kash N' Gold Tinker Bell lamps for lead paint violation

New laws in two states ban hazardous toys

We want to take a moment to highlight a couple of new state laws enacted in the past few weeks that we think are good steps forward for product safety.

Earlier this month, New Jersey governor Jon Corzine signed a law banning yo-yo balls, those liquid filled rubber balls attached to a rubbery sticky cord. One of the chief proponents of the law was New Jersey mother Tina Casadei-Alleruzzo whose 4-year-old daughter was nearly strangled by the cord in 2003.  New Jersey follows Illinois in banning the yo-yo ball, a result of vigorous lobbying by Illinois resident Lisa Lipin whose 5-year-old son was injured when a yo-yo ball cord wrapped around his neck in 2003. Lipin and Casadei-Alleruzzo are seeking similar laws in other states, including New York and Wisconsin.

Last month, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed into law a measure barring the sale and manufacture of lead-based toys and other consumer products designed for children. Specifically the law bans toys with lead levels in excess of 600 parts per million as well as the use of lead in any children’s jewelry or lunch boxes. Here again, Michigan follows the lead of Illinois in banning toys that have more than 600 parts per million in lead.

We applaud the states for taking such steps forward. But at the same time, we’re dismayed that it has come to this with states forced to take action in the absence of federal regulations.

Fisher-Price pulls second lead-tainted blood-pressure cuff off shelves in Illinois

Less than two weeks after Fisher-Price removed a lead-tainted red blood pressure cuff from sale in Illinois because the plaything violated that state's lead standards, the Illinois attorney general has announced the same action for a green blood-pressure cuff that is part of another Fisher-Price medical kit.

On Friday, Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan warned that the same potential lead poisoning hazard exists with the green blood pressure cuff, which is found in the Sesame Street Giggle toy medical kit. (The red cuff is part of the classic Fisher-Price Medical Kit.) As in the previous announcement, Fisher Price will pull the product only from store shelves in Illinois—even though the toy kits are sold nationwide. And as before, the company is offering a replacement part for families who already own the toy; consumers can call 1-800-298-0638.

You may recall that the state's action with the first blood pressure cuff was prompted by Consumer Reports' December investigation "New worries over lead" in which we reported finding high lead levels when we tested samples of the red Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff, among other items. Our findings prompted Madigan's office to begin an independent investigation that led to Fisher-Price's decision to pull the product out of the state's stores. The reason: Illinois bans the sale of toys, clothing, jewelry or other children's products that contain lead in excess of 600 parts per million. It is one of the strongest lead laws in the country and more stringent than federal regulations, which place limits on only paint and surface coatings. There are no federal limits on lead in plastics such as PVC.

The current action with the green cuffs was initiated by Fisher-Price, which tested the product and then reported it to Illinois. Fisher-Price spokeswoman Juliette Reashor explained: "Through research, we identified a similar instance with the green cuff, which revealed levels of lead that, though fully compliant with all federal and international standards, exceeded the Illinois statute.  We proactively reached out to the State of Illinois to inform them of our findings."

“I am pleased that Fisher-Price took the initiative to test its products, self-report a violation, quickly remove the affected blood pressure cuffs from store shelves, and offer replacements to consumers,” Madigan said. “I continue to urge manufacturers and retailers to review and tighten up their quality control procedures so consumers can be confident that the items on store shelves are safe for their children.”

The action once again illustrates the need for tighter federal regulations on lead in children's products. There's no reason that children in one state should be protected while those who live elsewhere are not.

CPSC: 22 children died in toy-related deaths in 2006

While toys with lead paint and tiny magnets have gotten a lot of attention this year, statistics released today by the Consumer Product Safety Commission serve as a sobering reminder that the simple and most classic of toys—balloons, tricycles, scooters and balls—are often just as hazardous.         

The new data on toy-related deaths and injuries in 2006 show that riding toys, especially non-motorized scooters, continue to account for most of the toy-related deaths and injuries. Last year, there were 220,500 toy-related injuries that prompted emergency-room treatment. Of those, 165,100 involved children under 15, about the same number as in 2002 and 2004.

Deaths totaled 22 in 2006, down from 26 in 2005 but the same as 2004.  The incidents—involving children from 3 months to 13—are described in the CPSC report. The details are grim but can provide important safety lessons, which is why we are publishing them here. (Please note that many of the incidents were related to but not necessarily caused by a toy.)

• Non-motorized scooters: Three deaths occurred when children either hit or were hit by an automobile. The children ranged in age from six to 13 years.
• Toy nails and pegs: Three children died when they choked on or aspirated plastic nails or pegs. One 19-month-old boy died after choking on an oversized plastic nail from a toy workbench. A second boy, 2, died when he fell while running with a toy nail; the nail got wedged in the back of his throat. Another two-year-old suddenly started coughing and stopped breathing. He died at the hospital where an autopsy showed a plastic peg from a toy had become lodged in his left bronchus.
• Rubber balls: Three children died when they either aspirated or choked on small rubber balls. Two of the children who choked on small rubber balls were about one year old while the third child was an autistic eight-year-old who aspirated a rubber ball.
• Powered riding toys: There were three fatalities. A boy, 3, was riding a battery-powered toy four-wheeler unsupervised and fell into a pond. A girl, 2, was riding her battery-powered toy truck as her family walked along on a sidewalk; a speeding car hit and killed her. A 6-year-old died when the cape of his costume became entangled in the axle of the gasoline-powered ATV  he was riding and strangled him.
• Tricycles: There were two fatalities. In separate incidents, a three-year-old female and a three-year-old male fell into the family in-ground swimming pool while riding a tricycle and drowned.
• Stuffed toys: There were two deaths associated with stuffed toys . A six-month-old fell off the parents' bed into a pile of stuffed animals and suffocated A three-month-old fell off a bed into a container of stuffed toys and suffocated.
• Other balls: There were two deaths from unspecified types of balls. One struck a girl, 10, while she was playing at school; she died of inter-cerebral hemorrhage. A 17-month-old was run over when he followed the ball with which he was playing as it rolled behind a truck.
• Balloons: A nine-month-old female died of upper airway obstruction caused by an uninflated balloon.
• Rubber darts: A 10-year-old boy died from aspirating a rubber dart. He had been chewing on a toy gun dart when he had trouble breathing and collapsed. At the ER, he was found to have a rubber dart in his right lung.
• Toy organizer: A nine-month-old, found underneath a wooden toy organizer, died of neck compression.
• Unspecified: A seven-year-old boy was chewing on a plastic toy when a small part of the toy broke off and became lodged in his throat. He died of asphyxia.

Such reports tell us that we should be as vigilant about the playthings already in our homes as we are about keeping lead-tainted toys and other hazards out of the home.

Fisher-Price pulls lead-tainted toy in Illinois but not other states

In our December investigation,“New worries over lead,” we reported finding high lead levels when we tested samples of a red Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff, among other items. As a result of our findings and an independent investigation by the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Fisher-Price is now voluntarily pulling the toy from store shelves in Illinois and offering families who own one a free replacement.

The red blood pressure cuff is part of the Fisher-Price Medical Kit, a classic toy that has been sold for several years. We found high lead levels embedded in the red plastic arm band as well as on the surface of the arm band, which we determined could easily rub off on the hands of a  child playing with the toy. Based on the levels of accessible surface lead we measured, we estimated that a child could potentially receive a dose of more than 15 micrograms of lead per day through foreseeable hand-to-mouth contact while playing with the toy.  That amount could potentially increase a child's risk of accumulating a blood lead level that exceeds 10 micrograms per deciliter—the threshold established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that generally triggers some form of intervention by doctors or public health officials.

Although we discussed our test results with Fisher-Price and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), neither took immediate action.  Fisher-Price contends that the toy "is fully compliant" with all federal regulations, which CPSC confirms. But the federal regulation for lead in toys places limits on only paint and surface coatings.  There are no federal limits on lead in plastics such as PVC. That’s a huge gap in the regulations that can leave children at risk for lead exposure. Congress is currently working on federal legislation that will close the gap and, if passed, will regulate lead in all children's products.  Consumers Union has been supporting this effort, which promises to reduce children's risk of lead exposure.   

Illinois filled the gap in federal regulations by passing a law last year that limited lead in all children’s products, whatever the material, to 600 parts per million (ppm)—matching the federal limits on lead paint.  When Illinois heard of our test results on the toy cuff, the Attorney General’s office bought two of the red cuffs and had them tested at a certified testing facility. According to the attorney general, the tests of the blood pressure cuffs revealed lead levels of 4,500 ppm and 5,900 ppm, more than seven to nine times the limit of 600 ppm allowed by Illinois state law. “Parents and other consumers should act quickly to ensure that children do not continue to have contact with this product,” Madigan said.

At the request of Madigan's office, Fisher-Price has agreed to remove the affected toy Medical Kit from store shelves in Illinois and offer a replacement part—free of lead—to families that already own the toy. When asked what kit owners in other states should do,  Fisher-Price spokeswoman Juliette Reashor said, "If consumers in states other than Illinois have concerns about the red blood pressure cuff, they may contact Fisher-Price at 800-298-0638."

She added that only the red cuffs are at issue. "The other colored blood pressure cuffs are made of different materials and are unaffected," Reashor said.  Fisher-Price is continuing to feature the kit on its Web site. Reashor added that Fisher-Price has advised its online retailers that the kit with the red cuff should not be sold to consumers in Illinois. Amazon.com and Toys 'R' Us stopped selling the kit with the red cuff nationwide after our report came out in November.

All this leaves us asking: Are children in Illinois better protected than kids in the rest of the country? We are hopeful that the pending federal legislation will put an end to this ludicrous inequity and protect children in all states equally.

Madigan, whose office enforces the Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, has been pro-active about tackling lead issues.   Last week the Attorney General introduced the Safe Shopping Guide, a 91-page color directory of hundreds of recalled children’s products.  Consumers can download the guide from the Attorney General’s Web site.

Video: How we test for lead
Consumer Reports tested for lead and found it in a variety of products. Watch the video.

States step in to get the lead out

Yesterday, California Attorney General Edmund Brown and Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo filed suit against 20 companies for manufacturing and selling toys with “unlawful quantities of lead.”   The suits allege that the companies knowingly exposed individuals to lead and failed to provide warnings about this risk.  Under California’s Proposition 65, businesses cannot expose individuals to hazardous chemicals without posting a clear warning.

The companies named in the lawsuit included Mattel, Fisher-Price, Michaels Stores, Toys 'R' Us, Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, KB Toys, Costco Wholesale, A&A Global Industries, RC2 Corporation, Eveready Battery Company, Kids II, Kmart, Marvel Entertainment and Toy Investments.  Businesses that violate Proposition 65 are subject to civil penalties of up to $2,500 per day for each violation.  Yesterday’s lawsuit seeks to remedy past violations and prompt manufacturers and retailers to establish processes that prevent toys with lead from being sold in the future.

Illinois is also taking on the issue.  A law recently passed in that state forbids the sale of children’s products with more than 600 parts per million total lead.  Although this limit is the same as the federal standard for lead in paint, the Illinois law is broader since it also applies to plastics, metals and any other materials used in children’s products.

Sunday’s Chicago Tribune reported on their extensive tests conducted on lead in toys.  Of the 800 toys tested, 12 failed federal standards and another 9 failed Illinois standards.  Several of the products were pulled off store shelves after retailers learned of the Tribune’s test results. And the newspaper reported today that all 21 tainted products are now the subject of an investigation by State Attorney General Lisa Madigan who has a reputation for strict enforcement of Illinois’ lead laws. 

According to the Tribune article Sunday, a spokesperson from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said that their federal agency “would rather have one U.S. law for lead in toys as opposed to the current patchwork of federal and state rules.”  But states can take steps that raise the public health and safety bar, and should always be allowed to do so. For example, California and Illinois laws on lead are more comprehensive than the federal laws. States are taking matters into their own hands while the CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord opposes legislation that would, among other things, strengthen federal regulations for lead in all children’s products.

In response to strong state laws, industry efforts have geared up to ensure that federal regulation would thwart state laws.  That might be good for business but it's bad for states whose citizens feel their tax dollars should pay for a high level of consumer protection.    

While only two states are flexing their muscle on the lead in toys issue, consumers in the other 48 states may wind up reaping the benefits.  Major retailers may find logistic problems in not being able to sell the same merchandise in all the states in which they do business.  If companies have to sort out what products can and can't be sold in California and  Illinois, they might just end up crossing them off the entire country's list altogether.
—Don Mays 

   

12 toy shopping tips for a safer holiday

If you are left feeling a bit scared and confused shopping for children this holiday season, you are not alone. So far this year there have been tens of millions of toys recalled due to lead paint, small magnets, or toxic chemicals.   

Consumers Union has 12 shopping tips that will help families enjoy a safe and merry holiday:    

1. Do not buy metal jewelry — especially cheap metal jewelry — for young children.  About 20 percent of children’s metal jewelry has high levels of lead lurking beneath the surface coating.  A child who mouths or accidentally swallows a piece of lead-laden jewelry can suffer lead poisoning.
2. You can test toys for lead by using a home lead test kit.  Although they are not always accurate, a positive test result indicates a high likelihood that the product you’re testing has lead.  Consumer Reports recommends the Lead Check and the Lead Inspector, which performed best in our tests.
3. Be careful of toys with magnets.  Many toys have small magnets that can fall out and, if swallowed, can cause serious health problems that are hard to diagnose.  Don’t buy toys with magnetic parts that are small enough to be swallowed. 
4. If you find loose, small magnets anywhere around the house, track down the source.  Immediately take the product and any of its other magnetic components away from your child and contact the manufacturer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov.
5. Avoid no-name products and be careful of toys purchased at dollar stores, street fairs, vending machines, thrift stores, or yard sales.
6. When purchasing arts and crafts materials, stay away from permanent paints and markers. Look for water-based paints and glues.  For a child under three years old, purchase age-appropriate material that your child can’t swallow rather than small foam pieces or small pom-pom balls.
7. Look for the age grading on toy packages and purchase only age-appropriate toys for your child.  The age grading not only relates to play value but also to safety.
8. Some toys may be inappropriate for your toddlers and babies.  Toys labeled for children 3 and over may have small parts that can be a choking hazard for children under 3 years old.  If you have children under 3 don’t buy a toy with this warning label.
9. Do your own safety check to determine if your child’s toys are choking hazards for young children.  If his or her toy fits through a toilet-paper tube, it is a potential choking hazard. The government-approved test for choking hazards is done with a smaller tube. The more stringent toilet-paper tube test helps you keep questionable toys out of your child’s hands and mouth.
10. Beware of toys that can be broken into smaller pieces such as chalk, crayons, or caps from markers.  They can pose choking hazards to toddlers and babies.
11. Small balls, tricycles, and balloons are the leading causes of death attributed to toys.  Balls smaller than 1-3/4 inches in diameter can pose a choking hazard to young children.  Balloons were associated with more than 110 deaths since 1973.  Children can suffocate while trying to blow up a balloon or while chewing on or sucking a balloon.
12. Before you shop, check recent toy recalls at www.recalls.gov and at www.notinmycart.org. You can also sign up for automatic recall notifications at www.cpsc.gov.

Chemical substitutions jeopardize safety

Last week's recall of 4.2 million Aqua Dots rang the alarm bell again for the toy industry. After promising that this would be the safest holiday season ever, the industry is once again licking its wounds.  This time it wasn't lead paint or tiny magnets; it was a hazardous chemical that can form into GHB, the "date rape drug," if ingested. 

The highly-promoted Aqua Dots promised to be one of this holiday season's hottest toys.  So how could it happen that this mainstream toy could cause such serious health effects?  The answer: unscrupulous business practices and the lack of vigilance to detect them.

The glue on Aqua Dots beads was supposed to contain the chemical compound 1,5-pentanediol.  But the products that made at least nine children seriously sick had 1,4-butanediol, a similar but hazardous substitute.  According to the New York Times, the cost of the substituted chemical was less than one-third that of the chemical that was supposed to be used.

But this is the same story we've seen with other products.  Chemical substitutions in Chinese-made products have rocked the product safety world this year.  It started with melamine in pet food, an ingredient used in fertilizer that gave the pet food artificially high protein readings.  Then it was diethlyene glycol, a component of antifreeze, used in toothpaste as a substitute for its more expensive cousin, glycerin.  And then it was the lead paint that was used in toy factories that was labeled as lead-free.    

Chemical substitutions in products are not only jeopardizing our safety but tarnishing venerable brand names in the American marketplace.  We doubt that the manufacturers of these products were aware of the surreptitious substitutions made at the factories they hired to produce their products. The problem calls for constant vigilance: better quality control and continuous testing to ensure that each and every batch of products made meets manufacturing specifications and all of our recognized safety standards.  And our government watchdog agencies need to ensure that the testing is being done, and done correctly.

All that testing may result in slightly higher prices for the products, but parents, pet owners and other consumers likely would be glad to pay the higher costs for the peace-of-mind of knowing that their purchases were safe. On top of that, maybe the appeal of outsourcing manufacturing to foreign factories would become less financially attractive once the true cost of producing safe products is factored in.

—Don Mays      

Recall reminders: Curious George dolls added to the list

Curious George dolls have been added to what has been a dizzying week of toy recalls. While the 175,000 Curious George dolls sold with story books were recalled because of lead paint, two of the week's largest recalls, Aqua Dots and a Laugh & Learn kitchen toy, were recalled for other hazards. Some of the 4.2 million Aqua Dots craft kits were found to be contaminated with a chemical related to GHB, the banned date rape drug, which caused children to become comatose. And the Fisher-Price kitchens were recalled after several small children choked or gagged on small pieces that broke off. A third non-lead related action involved 31,000 slingshot pool toys recalled after five children cut their hands using them.

The Curious George recall involves five plush dolls — four with plastic faces and one with a soft face — in which the face, the hat or both are covered with paint containing lead. Several soft-face versions of the doll, made by Marvel Toys, are not affected by the recall. On its Web site, Toys 'R' Us, one of the retailers that sold the doll, shows which dolls are and are not affected.

Made in China, the dolls were sold at toy and discount department stores nationwide from December 2005 through August 2007 for about $15. Marvel Toys is offering consumers a full refund and can be contacted at (800) 352-2064 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.regcen.com/curiousgeorge

Also recalled this week because of lead were collectible tin toys including not only a Winnie-the-Pooh pail and top but a robot, wind-up duck family and a music box. Toy cars were recalled by two different companies and a pair of children's sunglasses is also on the list. Here is a full list of this week's toy recalls.

• Marvel Toys Curious George plush dolls (175,000)
• Dollar General Children’s fashion sunglasses (51,000)
• Aqua Dots craft kits (4.2 million)
• Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn kitchen toy (155,000)
• Swimways “Skippy” pool toys (31,000)
• Dollar General pull-back action toy cars (380,000)
• International Sourcing dragster and funny cars (7,500)
• Northern Tool & Equipment “Big Red” wagons (7,200)
• Schylling “Robot 2000” collectible tin robot (2,600)
• Schylling tin pails and spinning tops (3,600 plus 66,000 recalled earlier)
• Schylling duck family collectible wind-up toy (3,500)
• Schylling Dizzy Ducks music box (1,300)

Please note: Crib recall
Also recalled this week, were 8,900 Wendy Bellissimo Collection convertible cribs made by Bassettbaby, of Bassett, Va. The bolts connecting the top corners of the crib can come loose, creating a gap and posing a serious entrapment and strangulation hazard. Bassettbaby has received 85 reports of bolts loosening, including one report of a 13 month-old child's hand becoming entrapped between the railings. The cribs were sold at Babies 'R' Us stores nationwide from July 2005 through October 2007 for about $500. Consumers should stop using the cribs immediately and contact Bassettbaby for a free repair kit at (888) 897-4689 between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET daily, or visit the firm's Web site at www.bassettbaby.com.

4.2 million Aqua Dots sets recalled after children become comatose

Following reports that two children had become comatose after swallowing beads from Aqua Dots craft kits, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 4.2 million sets of the small colored beads. Made in China for the Canadian company, Spin Master, the craft kits feature beads that fuse together when sprayed with water. The CPSC said that the coating on the beads that causes them to stick together contains a chemical that can turn toxic when ingested.

The CPSC has received two reports over the past several days of children swallowing Aqua Dots. A 20-month-old child swallowed several dozen beads. He became dizzy and vomited several times before slipping into a comatose state for a period of time, was hospitalized, and has since fully recovered. A second child also vomited and slipped into a comatose state and was hospitalized for five days.

The recall applies to all models of Aqua Dots, also sold as Aqua Beads. The product was sold in various different kits with accessories such as a drying fan, applicator pen, design templates for the beads, and spray bottle. The product was labeled for children age four and older. The beads were sold at large walk-in and online retailers nationwide from April 2007 through November 2007 for between $17 and $30.

Parents are advised to not only take the beads away from children but to search for any stray beads and discard them too. CPSC’s Julie Vallese says,  "Parents should take this very seriously. The consequences to children who ingest these beads is very serious."

According to an article in the New York Times, similar cases have been reported in Australia where the beads were sold as Bindeez, and where they have also been recalled. A doctor there identified the offending chemical as one related to GHB, the banned date rape drug.

Spin Master is offering consumers replacement beads or a toy of equal value and can be contacted at (800) 622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or through the firm’s Web site at www.aquadotsrecall.com.

Collectibles among today's recalls for lead

In the latest flurry of recalls of toys tainted with lead, the Consumer Product Safety Commission today recalled four items from a company that sells tin toys and other collectibles as well as 380,000 pull-back cars sold at dollar stores, a red wagon and a toy dragster. Schylling Associates, a company based in  Rowley, Mass. expanded its recall of tin tops and pails issued this summer while also recalling a tin robot, wind-up duck family and a wooden music box — all because of lead paint. The tops were sold four years ago. Details of today's recalls follow. Click on the title links for refund information and more photos.

3,600 Winnie-the-Pooh spinning tops

• Earlier recall of 66,000 tops and pails

3,500 Duck family collectible wind-up toys
2,60