In June, the New York Times reported that China had manufactured every single toy recalled for safety reasons in 2007. In addition to these major incidents, there has been a swell of products recalled because they contain harmful levels of lead.Īnalysts have been quick to notice one common element in many of the recalls-the majority of the toys are manufactured in China. The pieces were coated in a hazardous chemical which, when ingested, caused a reaction similar to a date rape drug. In November, several children suffered severe side effects after swallowing pieces from the popular craft kit Aqua Dots. The toy’s small magnets could detach and be ingested, linking together in a child’s intestines and causing severe internal injuries.
Last year, a child’s death resulted in a massive recall of Magnetix magnetic building sets. Toy recall stories have been making headlines recently, primarily due to the severity of some toys’ dangers. One large part of the CPSC’s jurisdiction is the toy market. The CPSC has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 products-nearly every consumer item that isn’t a motor vehicle, food, drug or cosmetic. The history of toy and other product recalls stretches back to the 1970s, when the Consumer Product Safety Commission was formed. But what does this increase mean? Should we be on the lookout for more harmful toys, or can we trust that hazardous items are being kept off the shelves? The number of toys recalled in the last year has increased by 50 percent since 2006, and the topic seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue.