2015 Trouble in Toyland Report

Philadelphia, PA- Today, Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-13) joined the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG) to highlight the presence of dangerous toys on store shelves this holiday shopping season.

According to the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group Education Fund's 30th annual Trouble in Toyland report, consumers must still be wary when shopping this year. The report reveals the results of laboratory testing on toys for toxic chemicals, including chromium and phthalates, both of which can have serious, adverse health impacts on a child's development. The survey also found examples of toys that pose a choking hazard, extremely loud toys that can threaten children's hearing, and powerful toy magnets that can cause serious injury if swallowed.

"We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe. However, until that's the case, toy buyers need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys," said Stephanie Monahon, State Director of PennPIRG.

For 30 years, the PennPIRG Trouble in Toyland report has offered safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children, and provided examples of toys currently on store shelves that pose potential safety hazards.

"As the world's largest market for toys, we must demand safe products for our children. As the father of a beautiful one and a half year old daughter, I know first-hand how important it is to remain informed and pay close attention to everything in her life, including her toys," said Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-13). "PennPIRG's annual unsafe toy list is an essential resource for anyone with young children in their lives. I remain committed to working with PennPIRG and my colleagues in Congress to protect consumers; especially our most vulnerable."

Key findings from the report include:

● Toys with high levels of toxic substances are still on store shelves.
o They found the Fun Bubbles jump rope from Dollar Tree which had 10 times the legal limit of the banned phthalate DEHP (tested at 10,000 ppm), and also had 190,000 ppm of the toxic phthalate DIBP which has not yet been banned. However, the CPSC has proposed a rule which has not been finalized that would add DIBP to the list of banned phthalates.
o They also found high levels of the heavy metal chromium in the Slinky Jr. (over 23 times the limit) and Minions pencil case (11 times the limit) from Target, and Magnetic Numbers (over 6 times the limit) from Dollar Tree.
o Positively, while the CPSC has recalled some toys for lead violations this year, our tests did not find any. They believe this is a sign of progress, but this does not mean that lead cannot be found in other toys.

● Despite a ban on small parts in toys for children under the age of three, they found toys available in stores that still pose choking hazards. They found a fairy wand from Dollar Tree that has small parts that easily break off, but was not labeled as a choking hazard.

● They found inadequate warning labels in the Disney Pixar Cars Riplash Racers and Disney Planes from Marshalls, G2 Air Mini Football and a Disney Finding Nemo Dory figurine from Five Below, and a Nickelodeon Mermaid Dora the Explorer from Target. These products may have labels suitable for foreign countries, but they were not sufficient to meet U.S. standards.

● Small balls pose a hazard for young children who are inclined to put objects in or near their mouths. They found Magic Towels packaged as a small baseball and a small football at Dollar Tree which did not have the appropriate small ball warning label.

● Balloons pose the most serious choking hazard to children in the U.S. All of the balloon packages they found did include the required warning label reading that children under eight can choke on balloons and balloon parts. However, they found three balloon sets from Party City which included a second, confusing label indicating that the products are for children ages three and older: the Balloon Animal Kit, Mega Value Pack 16 Latex Punch Balloons, and Mega Value Pack 12 Water Bomb Packs.

● They also found toys that are potentially harmful to children's hearing. They found the Vtech Go! Go! Smart Wheels, Vtech Go! Go! Smart Animals, Vtech Spin & Learn Color Flashlight, Fisher Price Click n Learn Remote, and Leap Frog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set from Target that, while they don't violate federal standards, were found to be extremely loud at the ear and at a distance.

● They continue to find small, powerful magnets that pose a dangerous threat to children if swallowed. They found Sizzlers noise magnets from Family Dollar, and Singing magnets from Dollar Tree that are "near-small-parts" which, while they don't violate federal standards, are small enough to be swallowed and can cause severe internal damage.

Over the past seven years, stronger rules have helped get some of the most dangerous toys and children's products off the market. Rules put in place by the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act tightened lead limits and phased out dangerous phthalates. Earlier this year, The CPSC implemented a ban on small, powerful toy magnets which is also an important step forward. However, not all toys comply with the law, and holes in the toy safety net remain.

"Hazards from toys come in all forms, and parents must be vigilant when shopping for their children," says Dr. Gary A. Emmett, Director of Hospital Pediatrics at Jefferson Hospital. "Doing a little research, buying age-appropriate gifts, and properly supervising children when playing can all go a long way towards eliminating the risk of injury and illness. It is especially important for children three and under to avoid toys with pieces small enough to end up in noses, ears or throats."

"Our leaders and consumer watchdogs need to do more to protect our youngest consumers from the hazards of unsafe toys – no child should ever be injured, get sick, or die from playing with a dangerous toy," said Stephanie Monahon. "Also, the CPSC should finalize its rule to include other toxic phthalates like DIBP on its list of banned phthalates."

To download our full Trouble in Toyland report, click here or go to their website at www.pennpirgedfund.org. Parents can find our list of unsafe toys, as well as tips for safe toy shopping this holiday season, at toysafetytips.org.