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Group highlights top 10 most dangerous toys
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6513919/
Release of annual list draws criticism from toy industry
BOSTON - A toy rocket that comes with a warning that says children
playing with it could suffer the “loss of an eye or death”
is among this year’s 10 most dangerous toys, a consumer group
said on Wednesday.
At an annual event to highlight the most dangerous toys ahead of
the festive gift-giving season, James Swartz, director of World
Against Toys Causing Harm was flustered while demonstrating the
high-powered air rocket.
After inflating it with a bicycle pump, the rocket took off with
a loud pop and broke through a ceiling tile above him, prompting
gasps from audience members.
“Well, there you go,” said Swartz, who had been explaining
the rocket’s risks. “To call this a toy is a travesty.
That should not be on the shelves and I think you can see why.”
WATCH said the rocket, made by William Mark Corp. of Claremont,
Calif., comes packaged with numerous safety warnings, including:
“Misuse of this product can cause SEVERE INJURY, including
loss of an eye or death.”
Some 65 percent of the toys bought in the United States are purchased
in the weeks leading up to Christmas, making it a crucial period
for the $20.7 billion toy industry. In what has become a holiday
ritual, WATCH has published its annual list of the “10 Worst
Toys” since 1973 — but not without controversy.
Group draws criticism
The Toy Industry Association, whose members account for 85 percent
of the industry’s sales, calls WATCH fear-mongerers.
“This kind of organization does scare parents and cause anxiety
because it sends a message that all toys are not safe and that’s
just not true,” said Julie Livingston, a spokeswoman for the
association.
Livingston said her group’s members take toy safety very seriously
and she noted that toys are consistently rated by the U.S. government
as one of the 15 safest products commonly found in homes. But she
also said safety is in the hands of parents.
“Parental supervision is the most important thing,”
Livingston said. “Any toy can become dangerous in the hands
of a child if it is misused.”
Swartz disagreed, saying parents cannot always keep an eye on their
children. He called for new laws to prevent dangerous children’s
products from coming to market.
“The realistic truth is that these toys are going ... to be
used at times when parents aren’t paying full attention,”
said Swartz, a trial lawyer.
WATCH noted that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported
at least 13 toy-related deaths in 2002 and nearly 200,000 toy-related
injuries in 2003.
Other toys on this year’s WATCH list was the “Pocket
Rocket” miniature motorcycle, which warns that its use may
result in injury or death and two small toys that the group said
could cause choking in small children.
Parents can find WATCH’s full list of dangerous toys at www.toysafety.org.
The toy industry also offers an online toy safety news at www.toyhotline.org.
Official safety recalls of toys are listed at http://www.recalls.gov/.
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