From a Disney baby Snow White doll to a Fisher Price outdoor barbeque set, there are a variety of toys available throughout the state this holiday season that could pose dangers to children, according to a new report by the New York Public Interest Research Group.
Released last week, “Treacherous Toys: Dangerous and Toxic Toys on New York’s Store Shelves,” the document offered safety guidelines for purchasing toys for children in addition to listing 14 potentially unsafe types of toys and children’s products that were available in shops across the city and state. Seven toys posed a choking hazard, three tested positive for toxic substances, and two posed an impact hazard, according to the report.
“Our report aims to make sure that when toy manufacturers kick into high gear to offer the hottest toys for the holiday shopping season, they put children’s safety first,” NYPIRG Program Coordinator Megan Ahearn said.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who announced the results of the report along with NYPIRG, is, in response to the document, calling for new federal reforms to ban toxic chemicals in all children’s products and strengthen federal resources to target and halt harmful imported goods.
A new report documented potentially dangerous toys sold in New York, including this Little Tikes’ big rock and roll ball pit.
“Parents deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the toys they buy for their children are safe, not harmful,” Gillibrand said. “This report highlights the urgent need to take steps to prevent these toxic and dangerous toys from ever reaching our store shelves and homes.”
In an effort to protect children from exposure to toxic chemicals, Gillibrand said she will introduce a bill to permanently ban six phthalates – substances often added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency and longevity – in all children’s products. In 2008, Congress passed the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, which banned three types of phthalates in toys and temporarily banned three other phthalates. However, manufacturers are still allowed to put potentially dangerous levels of phthalates in other products that children can use, including backpacks and pencil cases. Gillibrand’s bill would mandate the ban include all products used by children, not just for toys.
Toys identified in the report include: Little Tikes’ big rock and roll ball pit; Mattel’s max steel interactive steel with turbo sword; N-strike jolt blaster; Disney’s baby Snow White; princess wand; Little Pet Shop’s Sunil Nevla, seal and dolphins, and candy swirl dreams collection; gobble gobble guppies, Fisher Price’s loving family outdoor barbeque set, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pencil case, Marvel superhero squad soft shield, lamaze take and tidy activity mat, and sonic sound sizzlers noise magnets.
For the full NYPIRG report, go to nypirg.org/treacheroustoys.
By Anna Gustafson
