Dangerous toys that have been recalled for safety reasons may still be available in online stores, according to U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund’s Trouble in Toyland report.
Some of the recalled toys researchers found include:
- A toy glockenspiel recalled in February 2016 due to high levels of lead in the paint. If the paint is scraped off and ingested lead can cause adverse health effects.
- A remote-controlled flying toy recalled in June 2016. The toy’s USB charging cord can overheat, posing a hazard.
- A pencil case which contains two magnets that hold the case lid closed and can detach, posing an ingestion hazard. If these two magnets are swallowed, they can link together inside a child’s intestines and result in serious internal injuries.
“We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe. However, until that’s the case, consumers should understand two things: first, not all recalls may be well-publicized so you should check your house for previously recalled toys and second, some toys that are recalled may still be available online,” said Mike Litt, Consumer Program Advocate with U.S. PIRG.
It is illegal to sell a recalled product under the Consumer Product Safety Commission rules.
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Researchers notified the CPSC about potentially illegal sales and asked them to investigate these toys further and take appropriate action.
U.S. PIRG recommends parents and caregivers can also take steps to protect children from potential hazards:
- Subscribe to email recall updates from the CPSC and other U.S. government safety agencies available at recalls.gov.
- Shop with U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s Toy Safety Tips, available at toysafetytips.org.
- Examine toys carefully for hazards before purchase – and don’t trust that they are safe just because they are on a store shelf. Check the CPSC recall database at CPSC.gov before buying toys online.
- Report unsafe toys or toy-related injuries to the CPSC at Saferproducts.gov.
- Remember, toys on our list are presented as examples of previously recalled toys only. Other hazards may exist.
- Review the recalled toys list in this report and compare it to toys in your children’s toy boxes.
- Put small parts, or toys broken into small parts, out of reach. Regularly check that toys appropriate for your older children are not left within reach of children who still put things in their mouths.
