Buy only safe toys

PITTSFIELD Ñ Toys promise to bring laughter and learning into a child's life. But the wrong toy could bring tears and tragedy instead, according to a new report from the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group.

The good news, according to the report released last week, is that toys are safer than ever before. State and federal legislators, consumer safety advocates and parents deserve credit for pressuring toy manufacturers to produce better quality toys with fewer potential hazards to children, the report states.

The bad news is that advocates consider some currently available toys capable of causing serious injury or even death to young consumers.

Among the report's findings: In 2003, more than 200,000 people sought treatment in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries; more than a third of those injured were under 5 years old. Eleven children under the age of 15 died from toy-related injuries.

"Even one toy-related death is too many, because these deaths are preventable," said Jessica Schrump, Berkshire Community College MassPIRG Chapter chairwoman, during a press event in downtown Pittsfield last Tuesday.

The event featured demonstrations of some potentially dangerous toys, which clearly showed how potentially hazardous some toys are, Schrump said.

"Shoppers should examine all toys carefully for hidden dangers before they make a purchase this holiday season," she warned. "While most manufacturers comply with the law, parents should not assume that all toys on store shelves are safe or adequately labeled."

The report, "Trouble in Toyland," cites several potential toy hazards to youngsters, the most serious being the potential of some toys to choke them.

"Choking on small parts, small balls and balloons remains a leading cause of toy-related deaths and injuries," the report states. "At least 150 children choked to death on children's products between 1990 and 2003, a rate of about 12 deaths a year."

The report, issued annually by MassPIRG, also warns that some products for kids under the age of 3 contain small parts, and some toys with small parts designed for kids under the age of 6 do not feature mandated hazard warnings.

The researchers believe that warning labels themselves are becoming a problem Ñ because some apparently safe toys still feature warnings, often with several labels."This could dilute the meaning of the warning labels," the report concludes, "making them less useful to parents."

Other toys, according to the researchers, feature cords and elastics that could strangle a child Ñ including one toy that has been a target of safety advocates for some time.

"The popular yo-yo water ball poses particular hazards to young children, including strangulation and other injuries to the eyes, neck and face," the document states. "As of Oct. 15, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) had received almost 400 injury reports related to yo-yo water balls."

Another potential hazard Ñ and one often overlooked by parents Ñ is the danger of excessively loud toys. A 1998 study by the American Medical Association found that nearly 15 percent of children ages 6 to 17 show signs of hearing loss, and some experts have targeted loud toys as a possible cause.

The researchers found that several toys currently on the shelves exceed 100 decibels when measured at close range, well above the standard that is considered safe.

The report also warned parents that some toys contain toxins that could increase the risk of cancer and other health problems if ingested by children. Researchers found many examples of children's nail polish containing xylene, a synthetic chemical produced from petroleum, and dibutyl phthalate, a chemical recently banned in the European Union for use in children's products. Since children are prone to putting their hands in their mouths, nail polish offers a direct route of exposure to these potentially toxic chemicals

So what should parents and others who are buying toys for kids do? The researchers urge consumers to "be vigilant," keeping in mind that even toys that do not feature warning labels may be dangerous. They should also keep in mind that toys purchased online are not always subject to the same labeling and packaging requirements as those sold in stores.

Another tip is to make sure that the toys children are playing with are appropriate for their age group. According to the report, "hand-me-down" toys that belong to older kids can be dangerous if younger siblings get hold of them.