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ISSUES

Toy Safety (copy)

 

What's New

Signed Sealed Delivered: Safer Toys, Safer Kids

On August 14, President Bush signed a law that overhauls the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  The bi-partisan Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 will make consumer products safer by requiring that toys and infant products are tested before they are sold, and by banning toxic chemicals like lead and phthalates in toys. The bill also will create the first comprehensive publicly accessible consumer complaint database, give the CPSC the resources and authority it needs to protect the public, increase civil penalties that CPSC can assess against violators of product safety laws, and  protect whistleblowers who report product safety defects.

Click here for a copy of the bill.

How You Can Help

Protect kids, not chemical companies

Last week the Consumer Product Safety Commission -- the agency charged with keeping toys and other products safe -- announced they would let manufacturers ignore Congress and allow them to sell toys laden with toxic phthalates until they run out.

Email the CPSC and tell them that toys with over-the-limit levels of phthalates need to come off the shelves by February 2009, as the law states.

Click Here To Receive Our Toy Safety Updates

Sign up to receive e-mail updates about toy safety. 



Overview

While most toys on store shelves are safe, we continue to find toys that pose a range of safety hazards to small children. As a result, parents and other child-care providers need to remain vigilant in order to prevent toy-related deaths and injuries.

Recently, Florida PIRG broadened the scope of unsafe toys to include toys labeled as phthalate-free. Our analysis last year shows that even some products labeled phthalate-free contain the dangerous chemical.

Toy manufacturers should act swiftly to recall unsafe products and give parents the information they need to allow them to purchase safe toys for their children. Florida PIRG and our allies have prompted recalls or regulatory action on over 100 toys.

 




Florida PIRG recently released the 22nd annual toy safety report. PIRG research has prompted over 100 recalls or regulatory actions to address unsafe toys.

Resources

 
Florida Public Interest Research Group: 926 E. Park Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32301