After all the wrapping paper has been recycled, what was inside the packaging should continue to bring joy. However, toy recalls on the morning after leach some of the fun out of playing Santa. Choking hazards and protruding pieces in many playthings have long been deemed unsafe, but 2008's toxicity-related recalls took these hazards up a notch, with lead paint leading the drama. Though exposure to the heavy metal has long been recognized as unhealthy, particularly for young children, (e.g. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that even a low level rise in blood lead is associated with a greater decrease in I.Q.), it has been found in everything from Thomas the Tank Engine to Harry Potter Bookends and Pirates of the Caribbean Sleeping Bags. Because lead paint has been illegal for decades in the U.S., most of us have grown complacent and tend to trust that manufacturers won't include harmful substances in toys that our children are likely to put in their mouths. The recent rash of recalls, however, proves (again) that it is time to take our kids' health into our own hands.
It is difficult for parents (and friends and family members who are buying gifts) to determine which toys are being recalled, and why. One rule of thumb is to buy toys only from department stores, toy stores, and trustworthy online sources, rather than from dollar stores. Even better, shop at your small local toy stores, where you can chat with the proprietor and get a sense of how on top of toy recalls they are. The least expensive products available (as most of these are coming from China) should not have to come at the cost of our health. Similar to comparing the health effects of pesticide-ridden conventionally produced food with organic food, it is important for us to understand how cost relates to safety.
When it becomes impossible to produce tomatoes or dolls safely at such low prices, as it seems it has, it is time for us to allow the price to go up a bit. Low prices for you mean paper-thin profits to the toy manufacturer, and the lower their profits are, the more tempting it is for them to break the rules around product safety. For example, dollar store toys are often one-shot manufacturing runs that are immediately discontinued, so they aren't even on the market long enough to be recalled. While all of this encourages us to consider the oft-forgotten virtue of quality over quantity in our toy purchases, unfortunately making the decision to buy more expensive or "high quality" toys does not guarantee a toxin-free toy.
Some basics to be wary of include avoiding toys with red and yellow paint, which are the most common colors contaminated with lead: you might even want to pick up a lead testing kit and test your toys yourself. Because some types of plastic being used are also toxic, try to avoid cheap plastic toys made in China. BPA, which interferes with hormone levels, causing increased risk for breast and prostate cancers, uterine fibroids as well as hyperactivity and early onset of puberty in infants and children, caused a bit of hysteria last year, and hormone-disrupting phthalates (used to soften plastics) have long been a hot topic in the eco-community, but are rarely recognized by the public. Since most toys are produced in China, you should commit to confirming the types of plastics used in your children's toys yourself.
If you want to try to ask the right questions of all of the toys and products in your home, Healthy Child, Healthy World is a great resource for toxins to avoid. I also subscribe to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) mailing list for timely updates on what toys are being recalled and why. You can subscribe here. You can check recalls.gov where you can search for a particular toy, and see The Green Guide for a comprehensive buying guide.
As of February 10th (barring a partial reprieve) new legislation will require testing for lead and phthalates in all products sold for children 12 and under. The good news: Toys "R" Us and other retailers have already started complying with some of the new rules in advance, and we will look forward to other retailers catching up and providing these important standards. The bad news: in the meantime, you should expect deep discounts on toys that don't meet the new safety standards so stores can get rid of the inventory they won't be able to sell after February.
Eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals in toy manufacturing is a global issue, from the extremely high levels of lead exposure for factory workers at the plants that make the toys to the exposure that our own children suffer. With all of the educational toys and games out there, we should learn our own lesson about regulating the use of toxic chemicals and substances in production, especially when related to the youngest and most innocent members of society.
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