Public warned against ‘toxic toys’

Toys are fun, but they can also be deadly.

While toys are the most popular gifts to children at Christmas, child safety — especially with regard to toys — should be a prime concern, an environmental group warned yesterday.

Environmental group EcoWaste Coalition yesterday called on consumers to exercise utmost vigilance against what they said are "toxic toys."

EcoWaste Coalition coordinator Rei Panaligan said consumers must be "exceptionally careful" when buying toys for Christmas because toys may cause chemical harm, physical injuries and death.

Citing the latest report from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the coalition said 202,300 toy-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms in the US last year.

The same report showed that there were 20 toy-related deaths there in the same year, involving children aged 15 months to 13 years.

Of the 20 deaths, nine were caused by choking, while the other child fatalities drowned, were struck, strangled, asphyxiated, or electrocuted while playing with their toys.

EcoWaste also noted the hazards posed by toys containing phthalates, which are toxic chemicals used to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic.

The European Parliament has, in fact, moved to ban phthalates in their country last year.

"Consumers need to be exceptionally careful when buying toy gifts for Christmas," Panaligan said. "Toys should be free from any physical and chemical hazards so as not to endanger the health and safety of our children."

"Toy makers and dealers should clean up their acts and only offer toys that will not result in unreasonable risks of injury or death for young users," Panaligan added.

According to EcoWaste, children can ingest phthalates by sucking on toys or baby items made with PVC. These chemicals are also suspected of causing cancer and kidney damage, as well as interfering with hormonal and reproductive development.

"Though not all plastic toys are duly marked, those with (the) number ‘3’ inside the recycling symbol are made of PVC plastic and should be avoided," he said.

EcoWaste has given out some guidelines for consumers buying toys as Christmas gifts:

• Choose toys that match the age, interest, aptitude and skill of the intended recipient, avoiding inappropriate toys that may pose safety risks to younger children;

• Check the warning labels and instructions — particularly the age and safety recommendations, which should be clear to you and, when suitable, to the child;

• Examine the label to know if the toy does not contain toxic chemicals such as lead, PVC and other harmful substances that can trigger adverse health effects;

• Avoid toys with small or loose parts that can easily fall out and be swallowed, thus posing a fatal choking hazard. Look for sturdy toys made of non-breakable materials;

• Check if the toy’s cords or strings are not too long because overly long cords may entrap the child’s neck and cause strangulation;

• Stay away from toys with sharp edges and points that can cause lacerations, contusions and abrasions;

• Avoid excessively loud toys with no volume control. These can damage the sensitive hearing of children; and

• Keep toys’ plastic wrappings, foam peanuts or paper strips away from children to prevent choking or aspiration.

EcoWaste also urged the public to file complaints about dangerous toys through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Consumer Hotline at telephone number (02) 751-3330.

As this developed, Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. re-filed a bill titled the "Toy Safety Labeling Act," which calls for mandatory "actual warning labels" in toys.

If enacted, the proposed law will require toy makers to provide product safety label as well as product information that will show if any of the materials used in manufacturing the toys is "toxic, corrosive, irritant, flammable, or combustible," EcoWaste said in a statement.