Annual Toy Safety Report Highlights Hazards
DETROIT (WWJ) - Consumer advocates are out with a holiday season warning about some toys that could be dangerous to children.
Tuesday, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRGIM) released its 27th Annual Trouble in Toyland report, pointing to several toys that could pose a choking hazard to children under age three.
WWJ Newsradio 950 spoke live with Meghan Hess, an advocate for PIRGIM.
"We found everything from a toy guitar that's a little bit too loud to small ears to some magnets that could be swallowed and cause severed intestinal damage, to toys that contain phthalates and lead and some toxic chemicals," she said.
Hess said it's crucial that parents are careful to follow the guides on the packaging.
"Warning labels are definitely important, and parents need to heed those," Hess said. "And even if they have older children who they are buying toys for, many parents have younger children in the house as well who can get their hands into toys that intended for an older sibling. So vigilance is definitely important."
- View a copy of the report (.pdf format) -
PIRGIM also provides an interactive website with tips for safe toy shopping that consumers can access on their smart phones
at www.toysafety.mobi.
