All We Want For Christmas Is....Safe Toys

As Christmas Day is approaching, parents are troubled as they see more health risks associated with imported toys.  With unsafe Chinese-made toys being recalled in massive numbers, more parents are left unsure of what is safe, where to buy American-made products, and what to do if their child has been exposed to lead from an imported toy.  While the focus is on imported toys, it is important to state too, that it is not just China that manufactures toys with toxic chemicals...there are some made directly in the U.S. as well.  

However, approximately 80% of all toys imported into the United States comes directly from China, which is why there is such a huge focus on imported toys.  That figure may alarm parents who have been reading news reports regarding the wide variety of problems associated with Chinese imports (from toxic pet food to children's toys).  Some of the toys in the past that have been recalled have been Chinese-made Aqua Dots toys which contain a chemical, if ingested, that can turn into the date rape drug GHB, which induces seizures or comas.  At least 2 children had fallen into a comatose state after coming into contact with these toys last year.  Other leading offenders of products include Curious George Plush dolls (by Marvel), Dizzy Ducks Music Box (from Schylling Associates), and The Robot 2000 collectible figures.  All of these products have contained harmful levels of lead.

Some of the long-term effects of lead poisoning include loss of IQ points, impairments in language fluency or communication skills, memory problems, attention deficiency and diminished manual dexterity.  About 20% of toys tested this year by the Ecology Center (2008) found harmful levels of lead in them.  The developmental and nervous system consequences can be irreversible.  The Ecology Center also determined that 1/3 of the toys they tested had "high" or "medium" levels of chemicals of concern this year.  The largest offender?  Children's jewelry.  It is most likely (about 5 times as much) to contain lead above 600 ppm (where the recommended ceiling for lead in toys is 40 ppm).

It's not just lead that is found troublesome in toys.  2.9% or roughly about 45 products, had bromine at concentrations of 1,000 ppm or higher (which indicates brominated flame retardants that pose harmful hazards to children's health- recommended ceiling is to severely restrict the use of this chemical).  Arsenic was detected at levels greater than 100 ppm in 22 (1.4%) of products....289 however (18.9%) actually contained detectable levels of the chemical in toys.  Mercury was also found above 100 ppm in 14 (1%) of products (where the recommended level calls for no more than 40 ppm of mercury or arsenic).  Researchers have shown that the chemicals found in toys have been associated with reproductive problems, developmental and learning disabilities, hormone problems and cancer.  Babies and young children are the most vulnerable and actually have more chemicals in them due to the frequency of putting toys in their mouths.  

No wonder why many parents have turned to American-made toy retailers, as the concern by certain recent recalls of imports have been raised.  The good news is that 62% of the products tested contained LOW levels of chemicals of concern and 21% of all products tested contained NO chemicals of concern.  There ARE options out there for safe toys free of unnecessary toxic chemicals, as well as proving that manufacturers CAN and SHOULD be making toys without toxic chemicals.  HealthyToys.org is a site that has test results for more than 1,500 toys and children's products.  This site can help better inform parents or anyone else buying for children on the safest healthiest choices for products.

So Santa, all we want for Christmas... is safe toys delivered please.

**References: 12/3/08, http://www.ecocenter.org/press/releases/20081203.php,  12/19/08