Caution Buying Kids Gifts
Each year before the Christmas holidays, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) cautions shoppers about potentially dangerous products to give to children in its annual “Trouble in Toyland” report.
Overall, toy manufacturers have been doing better than before, though that trend may be changing:
All toys sold in the United States (and intended for use by children 12 years or younger) must meet U.S. safety standards. And, by all indications, toys overall are safer today than in years past. Injuries and recalls are down, from 251,700 toy-related injuries in 2010 to 198,000 toy-related injuries in 2020.
Toy recalls used to hit 50-plus a year more than a dozen years ago. We actually had 172 toy recalls in 2008. For the last seven years, they’ve ranged from nine to 28 per year. This year, recalls could top 30 for the first time since 2014.
This year’s 37th annual toy safety report shows there is room for improvement:
About 200,000 people go to an emergency room each year because of toy-related injuries or illnesses, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). That number has been declining slightly over the last decade, but clearly, that number of injuries is unacceptable and is a call to action. This statistic doesn’t even count injuries that aren’t serious enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room.
Three main areas of concern dominate the new report, the first one a carryover from when The PediaBlog last looked at toy safety in 2020:
• Recalled toys that can still be purchased – brand new – days, weeks, months or years after they were deemed dangerous. During October, U.S. PIRG Education Fund purchased and received more than 30 recalled toys from U.S.-based online sellers, including Facebook Marketplace and eBay. It is illegal to sell recalled products of any kind
• The role of parents and caregivers in keeping children safe because many injuries involve toys that haven’t been recalled and aren’t necessarily dangerous if played with as intended.
• Counterfeit toys that continue to infiltrate retailers’ shelves and online platforms, with many coming in from overseas. Counterfeit toys don’t necessarily meet mandatory U.S. safety standards.
In addition, we highlight ongoing hazards, particularly magnets and balloons, and tips for parents and gift givers. And we look at the emerging threat of toys with technology capable of invading our children’s privacy.
Read the 37th Annual Trouble in Toyland report from U.S. PIRG Education Fund here.
source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/12/19/caution-buying-kids-gifts/
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