Dangerous Toys Remain In Market

Dangerous toys containing harmful chemicals have long been a problem in the United States. The United States Congress recently passed a law banning the use of a plastic softening chemical known as phthalates in certain consumer products, including toys. The chemical is used to soften plastic – making it popular for rubber ducks, teething toys, and anything else that young children love to chew on. Exposure to phthalates has been shown to harm the development of reproductive organs and have been linked to cancer
The use of this chemical is already banned in much of the industrialized world and starting in January, the state of California. The Senators who sponsored the ban intended that it would go into effect 180 days after enactment. Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein sponsored an amendment to the law which required the Consumer Product Safety Commission to remove the affected toys and children’s products off of store shelves by Feb. 10, 2009.
Instead, the Bush administration is working to keep these harmful products on the market as long as possible. The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s general counsel issued an opinion allowing these products to remain on shelves as long as they were manufactured before Feb. 10, 2009. This important distinction gives toy manufacturers a way to continue selling these goods until they have dumped every last bit of their inventory.
This interpretation will allow the United States to remain a dumping ground for phthalate-ridden toys. While clearly intended to offer toy manufacturers some cover should they decide to violate the new law, the commission’s opinion won’t protect manufacturers from lawsuits that they could very well lose.
Everyone who shops for toys for infants and young children should inspect label of the product and refuse to purchase it if it contains this chemical.