Recalls Roundup Groups Find More Products Containing Lead, Other Dangers

Nine out of 100 toys tested by the Center for Environmental Health in Oakland, California, tested for high levels of lead, reports The Washington Post. Toys included a Dora The Explorer Game Pack and a SpongeBob SquarePants bat and ball set. Some of these toys may “technically” be legal because the lead was found in PVC and not directly on the paint.

Other toys that tested positive for lead, according to CEHCA:

• Disney “Princess” coin purse
• “Starletz” ceramic tea sets

CEHCA also has found huge levels of lead in other products, such as backpacks, rain ponchos and vinyl lunch boxes. Particularly notable was the large amount lead found in popular backpacks: Thomas and Friends, Dora the Explorer Go Diego Go, High School Musical and Hello Kitty’s “Chococat.”

Trouble in Toyland Report

In addition, 60 toys were labeled dangerous by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. In one case, an ornamental zipper pull was found to be 65 percent lead by weight. A Diddl Alphabet necklace contained powerful magnets that can perforate intestines if swallowed.

The group annually publishes Trouble in Toyland, which looks at toy safety in America. Key points:

• Choking on small parts and balls are still a leading cause of deaths and injuries. At least 166 children have died between 1990 and 2005.
• Powerful magnets can maim or kill when in the intestines.
• About 15 percent of children ages 6 to 17 show signs of hearing loss from toys that exceed 100 decibels at close range. (We do not buy loud toys in this house.)
• The CPSC has recalled more than 150 million pieces of lead-laden jewelry since 2004.
• Beyond the Aqua Dots recall, other toxic chemicals – including nail polish, toluene and excessive phthalates – are found in toys.

USPIRG singled out far too many toys for me to reproduce here. Please go to the report (pdf) and scroll way, way down.

It’s Up to Us

Vigilant citizens deserve credit for part of the massive recall of jewelry the night before Thanksgiving, reports The New York Times. Ward Stone and his 10-year-old daughter, Montana, discovered the hazardous levels of lead in dozens of children’s necklaces and bracelets sold at stores like Michaels and Big Lots after having birthday presents tested.

The pair brought the dangerous items to the New York state attorney general’s office and reported the dangerous products to federal officials. “These folks are our eyes and ears and can catch stuff as it hits their community,” Katherine Kennedy, a special deputy attorney general at the New York attorney general’s office, told the Times.

Upside to Recalls, But Buyers Beware

It seems all these recalls offer an upside to consumers: worried retailers are offering free shipping and large discounts, reports The Associated Press:

Already, aggressive price cutting has begun. Wal-Mart kicked off in early October, at least a week earlier than a year ago. Over the Nov. 2-4 weekend, Wal-Mart, Toys “R” Us and K-B Toys Inc. wooed shoppers with weekend discounts and door buster specials similar to what they would offer on the day after Thanksgiving.

Such heavy discounting could depress sales even more, analysts say. BMO Capital Markets analyst Gerrick Johnson noted that he now expects toy sales to be down from a year ago; before the summer recalls he had estimated that toy sales would be slightly up.

For Some Handmade is the Answer

It is clear that mass produced toys will remain popular for a long time to come, recalls or no recalls, but makers of handmade products are seeing a small renaissance, reports The Cincinnati Post:

The worries of shoppers coincide with what insiders say is an explosion in the popularity of toy-making. “I see a huge resurgence, mostly focused on knitted and crocheted toys,” said Susan B. Anderson, a knitting designer and author of “Itty Bitty Nursery,” which features polka-dotted chickens and a knitted tea set complete with dunkable tea bags.

“People go crazy over handmade toys. Little kids love it. Teenagers love it. Adults love it. Tons of adults are knitting toys for themselves,” she said.

Now, if I could just find time to write about all those food and drug recalls!