Remember last year’s uproar over tainted toys? You probably thought the problem was fixed. But it isn’t – dangerous toys are still on the shelves this holiday season. In fact, you likely will be able to find unsafe products well into 2009.
Earlier this year, with your help, Public Citizen succeeded in making tough new product safety measures the law of the land. The new law requires that toys and infant products be tested before they’re sold, bans lead and phthalates (a harmful chemical) from toys and calls for the creation of a consumer complaint database, among other vital reforms.
In 2007, we saw an unprecedented number of recalls of hazardous and deadly items. We passed stronger product safety measures to put a stop to these unavoidable injuries and deaths.
But the CPSC, which was charged with implementing these reforms, and its infamously pro-business chair, Nancy Nord, are working to undermine the law. Retailers can still stockpile and continue selling dangerous products as long as they were manufactured before the ban date (Feb. 10, 2009). And the agency is refusing to start work on the database.
Maureen, this is unacceptable! Over the past month we’ve been talking about our Citizens’ Agenda for the next administration. Ensuring the safety of toys and other products is a crucial part of this agenda.
Public Citizen will not stop working until these reforms are carried out fully. Just last week, we joined with the Natural Resources Defense Council to sue the CPSC to enforce the ban on toxic toys.
We have a lot of work ahead, and we need your help.
The Commission must implement the law and Congress must provide enough money for the agency to do its job. We also need to ensure that President-elect Obama’s transition team immediately replaces Nancy Nord with someone who will look out for consumers.
Please support Public Citizen today and help us protect your safety and the safety of our children.
You can also support us by voting for this cause as one of the top ideas for change in America at Change.org.
Kathleen
As a long time ecological and social activist, I’m very glad there are protections for our children’s toys, very glad.
What makes me sad is that after 2/10/09, among other things, I will no longer be able to buy those high quality, hand made wooden toys my nephew loves. You know the ones, the ones made by an artisan with so much integrity he uses FOOD GRADE quality finishes? Those will be illegal because he can’t afford to pay $6,000 to prove the chemicals that aren’t in there, aren’t in there. How can he when he makes fewer than 100 of any given toy a year.
And clothes? I can no longer buy those really cute dresses my niece loves to twirl in. The designer who makes them doesn’t have the $30,000 it’d cost to test her fabrics -which don’t contain lead- to prove they don’t have lead because she makes fewer than 1,000 dresses a year.
Sad to say, all of the small high quality ecologically responsible and ethical domestic US businesses I’ve been supporting for years will all be be put out of business by the unintended consequences of this law. I personally know thousands of them. We’re not calling 2/10/2009 National Bankruptcy Day for nothing.
December 13, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Mary
While the intent of CPSIA is laudable, the CPSC has written regulations that do not make sense for business or consumers. Testing is prohibitively expensive and applies to products meant for children regardless of any testing done to raw materials. And it applies to more than just toys: it’s all products for children, including clothing.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/cpsia-updates-and-calls-to-action-3157/
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/cpsia-requirements/
http://cpsia-central.ning.com/
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
January 6, 2009 at 6:41 pm