{"id":181,"date":"2022-11-17T01:00:20","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T06:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/georgia\/edfund\/resources\/trouble-in-toyland\/"},"modified":"2024-01-04T18:05:25","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T23:05:25","slug":"trouble-in-toyland","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/georgia\/edfund\/resources\/trouble-in-toyland\/","title":{"rendered":"Trouble in Toyland 2022"},"featured_media":45075,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":false,"_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":""},"campaign_tax":[157],"display_option":[],"issue_tax":[],"resource_type":[64],"region_tax":[],"state":[5,7,8,9,12,13,16,18,23,24,25,28,2,32,33,34,36,38,40,41,42,46,50,52],"topic_tax":[124],"class_list":["post-181","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"details":{"helper_taxonomies":{"topics":[124],"collection":false,"press_type":false,"person_type":false,"resource_type":64,"event_type":false,"campaigns":157,"department":false,"level":false,"states":[5,7,8,9,12,13,16,18,23,24,25,28,2,32,33,34,36,38,40,41,42,46,50,52],"act_option":false,"display_option":false,"primary":{"topic":124}},"subtitle":"","excerpt":"Dangerous, recalled toys are easy to buy, U.S. PIRG Education Fund investigation shows.\r\nOur 37th annual report looks at the problems of recalls, counterfeits and not heeding warning labels.","featured_image":45075,"caption_override":"Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash","updated_on":null,"sidebar_action":"","related_event":"","hide_hero_image":false,"location":"internal","external_link":{"publication_name":"","url":""},"file":null,"sidebar_action_query_string":""},"helper_people_group":{"title":"Authors","entities":[{"type":"dynamic","dynamic_person":{"site":16,"people":"128"},"information":{"name":"","image":null,"role":"","biography":"","contact":{"twitter":"","facebook":"","email":"","phone":""}}}]},"helper_downloads":{"title":"Downloads","files":[{"file":100000000045139,"title":"TROUBLE IN TOYLAND REPORT 2022 (pdf)"}]},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_additional_resources","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_additional_resources":{"title":"Latest edition of this report","resources":[]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last month, Cheryl Robinson bought a small squeezable toy at a discount store near her home west of Columbus, Ohio. As soon as she took it out of the package, she was overwhelmed by a chemical smell. \u201cI thought, \u2018What in the world is that smell?\u2019\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She said the smell was a cross between kerosene and paint. \u201cIt was so bad, my nose was burning,\u201d she said.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robinson uses these toys to help with her arthritis; she\u2019s bought them before. She\u2019s grateful she didn\u2019t buy it as a gift for one of her great-grandchildren. For now, she\u2019s storing the toy inside two Ziploc bags, while she waits to hear from the company or the store about what could be wrong with the toy.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robinson may have alertly headed off something that could have made one of her great-grandchildren sick.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About 200,000 people go to an emergency room each year because of toy-related injuries or illnesses, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/s3fs-public\/Toy-Related-Deaths-and-Injuries-2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (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\u2019t even count injuries that aren\u2019t serious enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the<a href=\"https:\/\/dev.tpin-test.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/TOYLAND-WED-717.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> 37th edition of Trouble in Toyland<\/a>, we\u2019re going to focus on three main areas of concern:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recalled toys that can still be purchased \u2013 brand new \u2013 days, weeks, months or years after they were deemed dangerous. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During October, U.S. PIRG Education Fund <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/edfund\/resources\/recalled-toys-we-bought-online-for-trouble-in-toyland-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">purchased and received more than 30 recalled toys<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from U.S.-based online sellers, including Facebook Marketplace and eBay, as well as several online merchants. <\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The role of parents and caregivers in keeping children safe because many injuries involve toys that haven\u2019t been recalled and aren\u2019t necessarily dangerous if played with as intended.\r\n<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Counterfeit toys that continue to infiltrate retailers\u2019 shelves and online platforms, with many coming in from overseas. Counterfeit toys don\u2019t necessarily meet mandatory U.S. safety standards.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s privacy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.tpin-test.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/TOYLAND-FINAL-11-17.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>READ THE FULL TROUBLE IN TOYLAND REPORT<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All toys sold in the United States (and intended for use by children 12 years or younger) <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Business--Manufacturing\/Business-Education\/Toy-Safety-Business-Guidance-and-Small-Entity-Compliance-Guide\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must meet U.S. safety standards<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. And, by all indications, toys overall are safer today than in years past. Injuries and recalls are down, from <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/s3fs-public\/Toy_Report_2015_0.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">251,700<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> toy-related injuries in 2010 to <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/s3fs-public\/Toy-Related-Deaths-and-Injuries-2020.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">198,000<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> toy-related injuries in 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toy recalls used to hit 50-plus a year more than a dozen years ago. We actually had <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Safety-Education\/Safety-Education-Centers\/Toys\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">172 toy recalls in 2008<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. For the last seven years, they\u2019ve ranged from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Safety-Education\/Safety-Education-Centers\/Toys\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nine to 28 per year<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This year, recalls could top 30 for the first time since 2014.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/CPSC.GOV\/RECALLS\">CHECK WHETHER TOYS IN YOUR HOME HAVE BEEN RECALLED<\/a><\/h3>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_large_image","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_large_image":{"width":"narrow","image":45081,"caption_override":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4>Toy-related injuries treated in ERs in 2020:<\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>198,000 injuries overall<\/li>\r\n \t<li>9 deaths<\/li>\r\n \t<li>40% of injuries involved children age 4 or younger<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4><strong>Injuries and illnesses occur when: <\/strong><\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toys don\u2019t meet standards, such as if they have parts that can easily be removed or fall off and be ingested.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children get access to a toy not meant for a child their age, such as a small bouncy ball or building blocks.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children use a toy in a way that wasn\u2019t intended.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Counterfeit toys are purchased, sometimes by shoppers who actually know they\u2019re knockoffs.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toys violate our children\u2019s privacy.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone \u2013 retailers, toy manufacturers, regulators, lawmakers, consumer advocates and families \u2013 needs to do more to protect children.<\/span>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Toys are safe until they're not<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All toys sold in the United States must meet U.S. safety standards. This must be documented with testing by the manufacturer. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All toys intended for use by children 12 years of age and under must be third-party tested and be certified in a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/cpc\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children\u2019s Product Certificate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as compliant to the federal toy safety standard enacted by Congress,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Business--Manufacturing\/Business-Education\/Toy-Safety-Business-Guidance-and-Small-Entity-Compliance-Guide\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the CPSC says<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cand to other applicable requirements as well.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The standards differ for different age groups, with a major focus on toys that are unsafe for children less than 3 years old because they contain small parts and pose a choking risk. Children age 4 and younger consistently make up about half of all injuries to children 14 and younger that require emergency room care. The overall standards are aimed at protecting children from toys that could cause choking, poisoning, cuts, burns, bruises, broken bones or internal injuries.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toys often are recalled because a piece can become detached or break easily and pose a choking hazard. Others can break and create a sharp object that could cut a child. Still others contain toxics such as lead or phthalates.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aQXreKwFYBU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WATCH OUR NOV. 17, 2022, NEWS CONFERENCE WITH THE CPSC, A SENATOR, AN ER DOCTOR, A TOY EXECUTIVE AND A CHILD SAFETY ADVOCATE<\/a><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the CPSC and a toy manufacturer announce a recall, that means the toy is supposed to be removed from store shelves and online marketplaces immediately. Consumers are instructed to take the toy away from children and contact the company for a refund or remedy. Recalls are issued when a dangerous defect has been discovered, sometimes after an injury has already occurred.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recalled toys aren\u2019t supposed to be available for sale. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFederal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Recalls\/2009\/Liquidation-Outlet-Inc-Recalls-Action-Figure-Toys-Due-to-Violation-of-Lead-Paint-Standard-Sold-Exclusively-at-Dollar-Stores\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according to the CPSC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In addition, it says, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This applies to all recalled products, not just toys. Just three months ago, for example, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Newsroom\/News-Releases\/2022\/TJX-Agrees-to-Pay-13-Million-Civil-Penalty-for-Selling-Offering-for-Sale-and-Distributing-Recalled-Products\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CPSC said The TJX Companies Inc.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> agreed to pay a $13 million <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/s3fs-public\/TJXCivilPenaltySettlementAgreementProvisionaAccept.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">civil penalty<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cfor selling, offering for sale, and distributing previously recalled consumer products.\u201d The products included recalled <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Recalls\/2019\/Fisher-Price-Recalls-Rock-n-Play-Sleepers-Due-to-Reports-of-Deaths\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fisher-Price Rock \u2018n Play Sleepers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Recalls\/2019\/Kids-II-Recalls-All-Rocking-Sleepers-Due-to-Reports-of-Deaths\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kids II Rocking Sleepers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, both of which have been linked to babies\u2019 deaths by suffocation.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the law, recalled toys are sometimes sold on primary or secondary markets.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, during October, U.S. PIRG Education Fund purchased and received <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> different types of recalled toys from U.S.-based online sellers, including Facebook Marketplace and eBay, as well as several online toy shops. The toys included stuffed animals, action figures, activity balls for infants, musical toys, bath toys and a toddler\u2019s riding toy. We purchased multiples of some toys, for a total of more than <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30 recalled <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">toys. The vast majority were new in the box or new with tags.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among 26 listings of recalled toys from Jan. 1 through Oct. 31, we tried to buy 16 of them. We successfully bought eight, sometimes in multiples. (We didn\u2019t try to buy huge toys that would be expensive to ship or toys with only a handful of items recalled.)<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For some toys, we combed the internet and found only one that we could buy. For others, we found several. And for one toy recalled in June, we found dozens for sale. We bought and received 13 of them.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reasons the toys we purchased had been recalled ranged from choking hazards to laceration risk to potential poisoning.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/edfund\/resources\/trouble-in-toyland-tips-for-families\/\">Toy safety tips for parents and caregivers<\/a><\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How were we able to easily buy toys that aren\u2019t allowed to be sold?\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe are aware of the growing challenges with these kinds of ecommerce sites,\u201d the CPSC told U.S. PIRG Education Fund. In the past year, the CPSC expanded its eCommerce, Surveillance, Analysis, Field, and Enforcement (eSAFE) Team and made more than 54,000 internet site takedown requests. The expansion helped the CPSC take \u201cappropriate enforcement actions to address hazardous products on eCommerce platforms.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe high number of recalled products,\u201d Dev Gowda, assistant director of Kids In Danger, told U.S. PIRG Education Fund, \u201cnot only shows that the CPSC is actively looking for unsafe products, but also that there are more dangerous products available for sale \u2013 including children's products recalled for lead -- a toxic substance banned since the 1970s.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Recalls\/2012\/Recalled-Products-Originally-Sold-By-Meijer-Found-to-Have-Been-Resold-By-Discounters-After-Recall-Date\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">some cases in years past<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, merchants would improperly dispose of recalled toys by selling them to dollar stores, liquidation firms and thrift shops.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, it\u2019s a big problem on a variety of sites. With one of the nation\u2019s largest platforms, Facebook Marketplace, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/s3fs-public\/CPSC%20to%20Meta%20Letter%2007_13_22.pdf?VersionId=uqcldimaObNhKaYZJDbHvJYUsyx1Ju1K\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CPSC Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric in July sent a letter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to Facebook\/Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, calling on the company to do more to monitor and prevent the dangerous items from ever being for sale. \u201cThis would save lives and prevent needless injuries,\u201d Hoehn-Saric wrote.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The letter noted that the number of banned and recalled products offered for sale on Facebook Marketplace, as identified by the CPSC, has increased significantly over the past several years.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhile Facebook is just one player in the online consumer product resale market,\u201d Hoehn-Saric wrote, \u201cit makes up a growing proportion of CPSC\u2019s take down requests.\u201d\u00a0 In fiscal year 2020, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/s3fs-public\/CPSC%20to%20Meta%20Letter%2007_13_22.pdf?VersionId=uqcldimaObNhKaYZJDbHvJYUsyx1Ju1K\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">about half of CPSC\u2019s takedown requests<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> were made to Facebook Marketplace. To date in FY22, that jumped to about 75 percent.\u00a0<\/span>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The role of parents<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many parents would likely take a dangerous, recalled toy away from their children, if they knew about the problem. But in order for toys to be recalled, they have to be for sale. That means that toys that were once believed safe actually weren\u2019t safe at all. It just took a while for the problem to be discovered, either through testing, use or after a child got hurt.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s where parents and caregivers come in, especially around gift-giving times. Whenever a child gets a new toy, a parent should inspect the toy thoroughly, said Dr. Jerri Rose, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">associate division chief of pediatric emergency medicine, UH-Rainbow Babies &amp; Children\u2019s Hospital in Cleveland.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Things to consider, she said:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are there small parts that can break off that the child could put in their mouth? A<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> small part is defined by the CPSC as any object that fits completely into a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Business--Manufacturing\/Business-Education\/Business-Guidance\/Small-Parts-for-Toys-and-Childrens-Products\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">test cylinder 1.25 wide by 2.25 inches long<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is about the size of the fully expanded throat of a child less than 3 years old.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Could a piece of plastic or another part of the toy break easily and produce something sharp that could cut the child or poke an eye?<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look at the label on the box or package. \u201cToys that are approved should say the age they\u2019re approved for,\u201d Rose said.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for labeling that says non-toxic.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure that anything that\u2019s electric says it\u2019s UL-approved.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there are batteries, especially button batteries, make sure the compartments are secure and can\u2019t be opened by a young child. Screws could come loose during shipping.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is your child old enough to play with the toy responsibly? Just because a child is older than 3 doesn\u2019t mean he can automatically be trusted to not put small parts in his mouth. Parents know their children best.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere are a lot of toys out there that are perfectly safe for the appropriate age child,\u201d Rose said, noting it can be challenging when a family includes children across a range of ages.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\">Just because a toy is for sale doesn't mean it's safe:<\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">It could have a defect and may be recalled in the future<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">It could be counterfeit<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"text-align: left;\">It could be inappropriate for all children in your home<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe CPSC urges parents to choose age appropriate toys that match the child's interests and abilities. And parents should always read and heed the safety warnings, information and labels.\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Just about any toy can cause harm if used improperly or by someone too young.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cU.S. toy safety standards are among the toughest in the world,\u201d <span class=\"s1\">Joan Lawrence, The <\/span>Toy Association\u2019s \u201cToy Safety Mom\u201d and senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs, told U.S. PIRG Education <span class=\"s1\">Fund, <\/span>\u201cand U.S. toymakers are committed to ensuring the safety of the toys they produce.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThat said, safety is a responsibility shared by industry and consumers. It is equally important that parents and caregivers take an active role in ensuring the safety of children by choosing age-appropriate toys for their kids and supervising play.\u201d<\/p>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4><b>\r\nRecommendations<\/b><\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Congress should pass the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/senate-bill\/936#:~:text=Introduced%20in%20Senate%20(03%2F23%2F2021)&amp;text=This%20bill%20requires%20online%20marketplaces,volume%2C%20third%2Dparty%20sellers.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">INFORM Consumers Act<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which was introduced last year. The goal: Stop sales of stolen, counterfeit or dangerous consumer products, including toys. The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces Act would require online merchants to collect, verify and disclose certain information from high-volume, third-party sellers.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toy manufacturers should make a commitment to do a better job of adhering to existing toy safety standards and improving testing.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Merchants, both brick-and-mortar stores and online platforms, should do more to prevent recalled toys and counterfeit\/knockoff toys from being sold.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CPSC should step up enforcement and impose meaningful penalties against merchants that sell counterfeit or recalled toys.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CPSC should continue to research the risks of phthalates and other toxics. \u201cWe\u2019ve passed strong rules to keep lead and phthalates out of toys,\u201d Trumka said. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201dWe should pass more strong rules to protect kids from other hazards. The problem is, there are more toxic chemicals out there than we know about,\u201d he said. \u201cIt should be incumbent on companies not to use chemicals in products unless they know they\u2019re safe. But until they fix the problem themselves, CPSC will be here to hold them accountable.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other battery manufacturers should consider making \u201cbitter batteries,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.duracell.com\/en-us\/product\/cr-2032-lithium-coin-button-battery\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as Duracell does<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by coating button or coin-sized batteries with a foul-tasting substance to discourage children from putting them in their mouth or swallowing them.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","":null}}],"site_specific_content":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Trouble in Toyland 2022<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dangerous, recalled toys are easy to buy, U.S. PIRG Education Fund investigation shows. 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