Watchdog group warns about dangerous toys
Posted at: 11/20/2012 6:03 PM
By: Stuart Dyson, KOB Eyewitness News 4
Just in time for the biggest shopping spree of the year, a consumer watchdog group is out with a warning about dangerous toys.
"Trouble in Toyland" is what the U.S. Public Interest Research Group calls its annual report. They're talking about toys that can choke a kid, poison a kid, ruin his ears or mess him up with magnets.
Yep. Magnets.
When a kid ingests magnets, especially more than one, it can severely damage the digestive tract. PIRG said hundreds of kids who swallow magnets are treated in emergency rooms across the country every year.
Then there's noise. PIRG said any noisy toy that's louder than 82 decibels is in violation of Consumer Product Safety Commission standards, and they said the Dora Tune Guitar plays prerecorded ditties at 93 decibels. PIRG said the Goofy Sounds push-to-rumble steering wheel comes in at 92 decibels.
How about choking. PIRG says the Super Food play set has some pieces that are too small to meet federal standards.
"From this Super Food playset we have toys like this hot dog that are just slightly larger than the test tube cylinder," said Alex Corkett of PIRG, displaying a small plastic wiener. "The simple fact that this product looks like food encourages our young people - our littlest consumers - to try and eat it!"
Corkett says there are other toys that may contain lead paint or dangerous chemicals in the plastic. He praised the U.S. Congress for passing legislation that strengthened the Consumer Product Safety Commission back in 2008. Congresswoman-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham said now is no time to relax the standards.
"With our budget issues we're going to have to really rely even more heavily on the efforts by partners like New Mexico PIRG to make sure that we're meeting the safety standards for our children and our families."
For more information, visit PIRG's website here.
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