Buying For Kids? Choose Safe Toys
Government, Consumer Groups Issue Warnings
WASHINGTON -- With the holiday season come some holiday warnings.
The government and a consumer group are out with their annual reports on toy safety.
'Dirty Dozen' Toy List
Dangerous Toy List
The Consumer Product Safety Commission's list of children's products recalled this year includes about 188,000 cotton candy machines made by Rose Art Industries. The machine's motors can jam and overheat, posing a fire hazard.
"We've made our list and want consumers to check it twice," CSPC Chairman Hal Stratton said. "Preventing needless tragedies and providing a safe environment are the best holiday gifts parents can provide their children."
Meanwhile, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group says the greatest toy dangers still come from toys with small parts that kids can choke on.
"Children needlessly choke to death on toys, and toys that pose hazards to children can still be found on store shelves," said U.S. PIRG Consumer Associate Jen Thompson, an author of the report.
According to data released last week by the CPSC, in 2001 there were an estimated 255,100 toy-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. There were 25 reported toy-related deaths, including nine children who choked to death on balloons, toy balls, and small toys.
U.S. PIRG also found toxic chemicals and hearing-loss dangers in some toys. No federal regulations regulate the noise level of toys, but toys with sounds of 85 decibels or over can significantly affect a child's hearing, according to the report.
The group also cautions consumers buying toys online, saying that few retailers they studied posted the warnings required to appear on in-store products. U.S. PIRG urged manufacturers to voluntarily provide Child Safety Protection Act warnings on the Web and urged Congress to pass the Internet Toy Safety Awareness Act, which would make such labeling mandatory.
"Shoppers should examine all toys carefully for hidden dangers before they make a purchase and should think about how a child would play with the toy," Thompson said. "While most manufacturers comply with the law, parents should not assume that all toys on store shelves are safe or adequately labeled."
Activist Group Warns Of Violent Video Games
A group trying to stop the marketing of violence to children is out with its "Dirty Dozen" toys to avoid this holiday season.
The Lion and Lamb project puts an emphasis on video games, because of their increasingly violent themes. The group says so-called "first-person shooters" involve little in the way of creativity.
Executive Director Daphne White said all games are "educational" -- but the question is, what do we want to teach children?
For example, "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" for Playstation Two allows players to hijack police cars, gun down pedestrians, kill policemen, and pick up prostitutes.
Also among the "Dirty Dozen" toys is the Army Forward Command Post by Ever Sparkle Industrial Toys. The group cites the Amazon.com review that says it's "sure to excite bloodthirsty passions in even the most passive of preschoolers."
Copyright 2002 by WFTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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