Contents

Introduction

New York City Survey Findings

Long Island Survey Findings

Upstate New York Survey Findings

Hazard and Label Key

Survey Form

 
Introduction

Toys should provide a creative and happy outlet for children; yet too often they bring pain and sometimes death. According to the most recent data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), at least 17 children, none older than seven years old, died in 2000 playing with toys (Joyce McDonald, "Toy Related Deaths and Injuries, Calendar Year 2000," CPSC Memorandum, 5 November 2001.) . Moreover, of the estimated 248,000 persons treated in hospital emergency rooms in 2001 for toy related injuries, 76,937 (31%) were under five years old ("NEISS Data Highlights - 2001," Consumer Product Safety Review 7.2 (Fall 2002): 3).

Since 1986, NYPIRG has conducted toy safety research and education projects to avoid such tragic and preventable deaths. NYPIRG also has lobbied the CPSC, state legislatures and Congress to protect children from death and injury due to unsafe toys. NYPIRG's advocacy has focused on the leading cause of toy deaths: choking. Since 1990, 123, or 59%, of the 207 reported toy related deaths, were caused by choking. In 2000, 6 of 17 total toy deaths (35%) were caused by choking on balloons (1), balls (2) and small toys and toy parts (3).

The CPSC's principal responsibility is to ensure that toys (and other products) are safe. Yet, from 1980 to 1993, the CPSC and Congress did little to protect children from dangerous products. In 1994, things began to change for the better. First, President Clinton appointed long time child safety advocate Ann Brown as chair of the CPSC. Second, after years of battles with the powerful toy lobby, Congress finally passed PIRG's priority child safety proposal, the Child Safety Protection Act ("CSPA"), which took effect in January 1995. For the first time, warning labels were required on toys that contained banned small parts, if intended for older children, and on balloons, small balls and marbles. The CSPA also increased the size of banned small balls, because round objects pose particular choking hazards.

Yet, despite the CPSC's leadership and the regulations in place, parents should remain vigilant. First, the CPSC often lacks the resources to adequately monitor the thousands of new toy products introduced nationally. Second, many companies do not adequately comply with the specifics of the law and allow potentially dangerous toys to be produced, marketed and sold. Third, even when the CPSC does announce a recall of dangerous toys, many toys remain on store shelves or in homes because manufacturers and retailers do not do an adequate job of complying with the recall. Fourth, not all consumers find out about recalls and not all products have the necessary manufacturer information to identify recalled or dangerous toys.

Survey Findings

In October and November 2002 a team of field study participants surveyed 49 stores in New York State including stores in all five boroughs of New York City, in Long Island and Westchester. Surveyors also identified toys in stores located in Albany, New Paltz, Binghamton, Cortland, Syracuse, Oswego and Buffalo. The purpose of the survey was to identify toys that posed potential hazards to young children. The surveyors identified 160 potentially dangerous toys.

Since more children die and are seriously injured from choking on toys and toy parts than any other toy hazard, the surveyors focused on toys that could pose a choking hazard to small children. They identified 77 toys that could pose a choking hazard. 27 toys identified contained small parts, 8 toys contained near small parts, 5 toy contained small ball-like or spherical objects,16 toys that contain small play food and one packet of latex balloons was identified because it was targeted to toddlers. 20 toys were identified as choking hazards because they lacked the safety label required by the CSPA.

The surveyors identified toys that could pose other hazards to children. They identified 14 toys that could pose strangulation hazards and 11 toys that could pose a laceration hazard due to their sharp edges. Surveyors also identified 16 projectile toys that could pose an eye or face injury to children, 12 toys that were very loud and could damage a child's hearing and 18 toys that could pose a clothing, finger or hair entanglement hazard. They further identified four toys that contain toxic substances, six baby walkers that could pose a tipping or falling hazard and two scooters that could pose fall-related injuries.

The pages that follow contain grids that list each of the toys identified, a key that describes the toy hazards and the labels the surveyor's looked for, and a copy of the form the field study participants used to conduct the toy safety survey. Please see the full report for more background on toy hazards and the current toy safety laws and standards.