Cracking Down On Toy Recalls
The state of California is suing some major toy retailers like Mattel, Wal-Mart, Costco, and Target over the recent toy recalls. The recalls occurred due to high levels of toxic lead paint found in numerous preschooler toys that were manufactured in China. The lawsuit has come about in an effort to enforce stricter policies to prevent dangerous consumer products from entering the U.S. marketplace. It is stated in the law that the one responsible for importing products into the country is also responsible for the quality and safety of those imported goods.
So is the government doing their job and watching out for our consumer safety? It seems that dangerous products are entering the country on a regular basis. One watch dog group went out and purchased one hundred children's toys and found that nine of those were not fit for consumer use. Many of these watch dog groups agree that the heart of the problem lies with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC has inspectors that monitor toys that are manufactured domestically and those that enter the country. So if there is an agency in place to protect U.S. consumers, then why all of the problems?
It seems that everyone agrees that the lack of funding to the CPSC has contributed to the problem. Consumer interest activist's biggest argument is that the lack of government funding has prevented these type of agencies from having the necessary resources to protect consumers. The CPSC has also stated that the recent toy recall epidemic is due to outdated facilities and under funding. It seems that there are also problems in the CPSC's leadership according to evidence from their own internal documents. Apparently those in charge have put our children's safety to the side by covering up test results and manipulating some of the testing in order to protect the toy industry from any inconveniences.
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With all of the recent media coverage and the California lawsuit, the hope is that retailers will be forced to use more scrutiny before placing products on the market for sale. The industry has put our children in harms way just to save a buck by using cheap foreign manufacturers, and government agencies have failed to protect us by allowing relaxed policies to exist. With the new lawsuit, toy retailers could be forced to pay fines up to 00 per toy violation per day. This could potentially mean millions of dollars in fines.
As parents, we can't assume that we are being protected. We need to take an active roll in protecting our families from harm. Make sure to look at the toy recall list and make sure you don't have any toys in your home that could be harmful. If you find a toy that has been recalled then make sure to return it to the store you got it from. If you are not sure where the toy was purchased, then Toys-R-Us is accepting toys on the recall list no matter where they were purchased. This holiday season make sure that you are buying safe toys for your child.
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Anthony Enriquez has worked in the parenting industry for years giving parenting advice. He spends his free time with his two wonderful children. Together they created a website about Webkinz. You can find more information about the recent toy recalls and a list of recalled toys at Webkinz stuffed animals and parenting tips to boot.
