Take Care Not To Give Dangerous Toys This Holiday Season

As you hit the mall to finish up that last-minute holiday shopping for all the special kids in your life, you’ll want to check the annual report of dangerous toys from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

The report, called “Trouble in Toyland,” details dangers that could be awaiting your children. The group released the report last month after testing 40 toys that were thought to be potentially hazardous. In all, 15 were found to present dangers to kids.

So just what did the group find?

• Nearly 90 percent of the latex balloons that Amazon sells don’t contain warnings about choking hazards, as required by law.
• Toys that contain small rare-earth magnets can cause stomach damage if swallowed.
• Six of the brands of slime tested came back positive for high amounts of boron, a chemical. A group spokesman said boron can cause nausea and vomiting in the short term and reproductive issues in the long term.
• While this isn’t a concern about a toy that can’t be swallowed or chewed, here is something else to consider: Toys with internet connections can collect and share data about kids.

The trade group The Toy Association disagreed with the findings and said the Public Interest Research Group had failed to consider that the United States has especially strict toy standards.

Remember when you do your shopping to check for warning labels, make sure toys have parts bigger than a child’s mouth, avoid magnets and inspect toys to see to it that they’re sturdy. You don’t want to give a toy that could be a danger to children. Look over every toy your child receives this holiday season for safety. A number of cases wind up in the hands of attorneys experienced in product liability each year.