How to buy toys without a lot of worry

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Avoiding toxic toys
Nov. 28: What will be the impact of all the recent toy recalls on holiday sales?

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Don’t go looking for the 2008 edition of the "Oppenheim Toy Portfolio." President Joanne Oppenheim and publisher Stephanie Oppenheim stopped the presses this year because they could not be sure the hundreds of toys they were about to recommend in their book were lead-free. The toys that made it to the winner's circle tested negative for lead content.

So this year’s Platinum Award Winners can be found online here.

“It is unconscionable that there are toys on the shelves that can pose a health hazard to our children,” Stephanie Oppenheim told me. “And until we move forward with better regulation, it’s going to be a lot like Russian roulette.”

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Certified testing programs needed
“Toy givers need to remain vigilant about the often hidden hazards posed by toys on store shelves,” PIRG’s Ed Mierzwinski says. “They need to remember that no government agency tests toys before they’re out on the shelves.”

Reacting to the endless stream of recalls, manufacturers and retailers have increased safety testing. Consumer groups say these unregulated, voluntary programs are no longer sufficient. They are pushing Congress to establish an independent, third-party testing program, something like a UL label for toys.

Toy makers support legislation that would require mandatory toy testing. But the industry wants to run the testing program in labs that have been accredited by the American National Standards Institute. Consumer groups oppose the idea. Mierzwinski is very blunt about it. “I don’t trust the companies to do the tests,” he says.

What’s a parent to do?
One of the most important things you can do is sign up with the Consumer Product Safety Commission for its automatic e-mail recall alerts.

When choosing a toy, check for obvious hazards such as small parts and small magnets. Unfortunately, you can’t tell by looking if there’s lead.

Don Mays of Consumers Union, a father of two young children, urges parents to stick with the major retailers. “Based on Consumer Reports testing, we found that you are more likely to get unsafe, substandard, and sometimes even counterfeit products when you buy from dollar stores, yard sales, or flea markets.

“We also think it’s probably better to stay with the major brands,” Mays says. Although he admits, “Some of the major brands have let us down this year.”

After you buy a toy, go to the CPSC Web site and check to make sure it hasn’t been recalled. Considering how many products were pulled off the market this year, that’s a prudent thing to do.

If you’re concerned that lead might be present – in a new toy or one you already have at home – you can get a do-it-yourself test kit. Consumer Reports tested five of the kits and found that three of them, while not perfect, do detect surface lead.

If you use the Lead Check or the Lead Inspector test kits and you get a positive result, the editors say, you have a pretty clear indication that there’s lead in that toy and you should take it away from your child.

Mierzwinski would like you to do one more thing. E-mail your lawmakers in Congress. Let them know you want more done to prevent dangerous toys from making it to market. Tell them it’s time to get the lead out!

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