Consumer Group: Trouble Remains In Toyland
Mobile site helps consumers shop safer
By STACY MORROW
Updated 7:20 PM CST, Tue, Nov 24, 2009
As the holiday shopping season ramps up, a consumer group has released an interactive tool along with a warning about dangerous toys.
The Texas Public Interest Research Group said Tuesday that despite a major overhaul of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are still hazardous toys on store shelves.
The group's 2009 Trouble in Toyland report focuses on three categories of toy hazards: toys that may pose choking hazards, toys that are excessively loud and toys that contain the toxic chemicals lead and phthalates.
The group launched a mobile site to make it easy for consumers to check products while they're on the go and share experiences.
"With our new, interactive tool, parents and other consumers can report toys they think are hazardous, so we can investigate them and report them to the federal government," said Elizabeth McClellan, a TexPIRG Advocate.
In 2008, toy-related injuries sent more than 82,000 children younger than 5 to emergency rooms, and 19 children died of toy-related injuries, according to recent data from the CPSC.
TexPIRG's Trouble in Toyland report has offered safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children for the past 24 years.
Get more:
http://toysafety.mobi
http://www.toysafety.net
First Published: Nov 24, 2009 4:00 PM CST
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