Overview
Our product safety net isn’t up to the job of protecting us from
dangerous product. For one, America is facing a hyper-competitive,
globalized marketplace, with enormous pressure to cut costs—and cut
corners. And at the very moment that both corporate CEOs and top
government officials should be demanding greater vigilance, we've seen
regulations weakened or repealed and funding for watchdog agencies
slashed. Just 20 years ago, there were twice as many staff at the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the body charged with
ensuring the safety of consumer goods. Funding at that agency is now at
an all-time low. And the CPSC, along with other agencies led by
administration appointees, is too willing to let companies call the
shots.
High-profile recalls of food, drugs and consumer
products has families wondering what else is slipping through the
safety net. In 2007, 25 million toys were recalled because they were
laced with lead or contained small, powerful magnets that could
perforate a young child’s intestines. Before that 60 million pounds of
pet food recalled because they were peppered with rat poison.
Drug-maker like Merck were exposed for selling Vioxx even after their
own clinical trials showed that the drug had lethally dangerous side
effects. The drug ended up ending the lives of thousands after 2
million people were prescribed the drug
That’s why, along with
PIRG leaders in 23 other states, we’re launching the Corporate Safety
Challenge. Together, we want to challenge CEOs to take action on
product safety before another major recall occurs. We need to challenge
our government to set better standards, hold companies accountable, and
put enough cops on the product safety beat to get the job done.
