22 Hazardous Toys Named in New Report
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) released its 30th annual “Trouble in Toyland” report this week. In the review of more than 200 toys sold at major retailers and dollar stores, there were fewer toxic products than in years past, but chemicals, choking threats, magnets, and extra-loud toys were still big concerns.
Here is a breakdown of the biggest potential dangers on store shelves.
Dory figurine (Photo: Five Below)
Choking threats
“Despite a ban on small parts in toys for children under the age of three, we found toys available in stores that still pose choking hazards,” the report reads. A fairy wand with small parts sold at Dollar Tree was not labeled as a choking hazard, and the warning labels on 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 were not sufficient for U.S. requirements.
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Small balls without appropriate warning labels — like a mini-baseball and mini-football from Magic Towel that are sold at Dollar Tree — are also a concern, as are balloons, which the report notes pose the greatest choking hazard for kids. Most balloon packages have a warning that children under 8 can choke on balloons and balloon pieces, but three balloon sets from Party City included a second label advising that the toys were for children ages 3 and up. Those were the Balloon Animal Kit, Mega Value Pack 16 Latex Punch Balloons, and Mega Value Pack 12 Water Bomb Packs.
Minions pencil case (Photo: Vaultz)
Chemical concerns
Through chemical testing at lab accredited by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. PIRG found 10 times the legal limit of the banned phthalate DEHP in the Fun Bubbles jump rope from Dollar Tree. There were also high levels of chromium — which has been known to cause severe allergic reactions and has compounds that are linked to cancer — in the Minions pencil case, Slinky Jr., and Magnetic Numbers. The chromium levels in these products aren’t against the law, but the report calls this heavy metal “a cause for concern” and encourages the CPSC to do more testing.
There were no lead violations found this year, which U.S. PIRG notes is “a sign of progress.”
Vtech Go! Go! Smart Wheels car (Photo: Vtech)
Hearing harms
Loud toys aren’t just an annoyance for parents — they are also potentially harmful to kids. The report reads, “Excessive noise in toys is of concern because children have the most to lose from hearing loss. Loss of hearing at an early age can affect a child’s ability to learn vocabulary, grammar, idiomatic expressions, and other aspects of verbal communication.” Toys on the loud list include the Vtech Go! Go! Smart Wheels, Vtech Go! Go! Smart Animals, Vtech Spin & Learn Color Flashlight, Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Click ‘n Learn Remote, and LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set from Target. They don’t violate federal standards, but they are extremely noisy.
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Magnetic dangers
Small magnets fit into little mouths and, if swallowed, can be very harmful to internal organs. The Sonic Sound Sizzlers Noise Magnets from Family Dollar and Singing Magnets from Dollar Tree were both cited in the report as potential dangers. Their sizes aren’t small enough to violate a federal standard, but they do fit into the choke test cylinder used for analysis and could cause serious damage.
How to be safe
The report concludes with recommendations to parents that point them to the U.S. PIRG Education Fund website and note that special attention should be paid to small toys, extra-loud toys, and battery-operated toys — especially when they use “dime”- or “button”-style batteries. Parents are encouraged to examine all toys carefully for potential hazards beyond printed warning labels.
(Top photo: Getty Images)
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