Facts About Toys

Toys aren’t what they used to be.

New toys are constantly filling our kids’ closets. Recent studies show nearly every household purchases at least one toy a year (often more), and toy sales in the U.S. in 2007 totaled to $20.5 billion.

As toys have become more complex, the dangers associated with their disposal have increased. If improperly handled, they can cause injury to both your child and the environment.

Lead

Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission has banned using lead in toys, you can still have your child tested if you are concerned about possible exposure to lead.

• Depending on the level of exposure and the age of the person involved, lead can cause a nasty list of symptoms: vomiting, headache, anemia and damage to blood formation, nervous, urinary and reproductive systems, to name a few.
• Lead exposure can stunt a young child’s cognitive and physical development.
• Children are most often exposed by putting items containing lead in their mouths.
• In an effort to reduce the risk of lead poisoning in children, the use of lead paint on toys and furniture was banned in the U.S. in the late 1970s.
• China, a prolific toy-producing country, signed an agreement in 2007 to prohibit the use of lead paint on toys exported to the U.S.

Batteries

Batteries are required (but not included) for many of today’s toys.

• Each year, Americans throw out almost 180,000 tons of batteries.
• Batteries are comprised of heavy metals, which include nickel cadmium, alkaline, mercury, nickel metal hydride and lead acid. These can threaten the environment if not properly discarded or handled.
• Americans purchase nearly 3 billion dry-cell batteries every year to power radios, toys, cellular phones, watches, laptop computers and portable power tools.

Magnets

Magnets may not seem to pose much of a threat, but emergency surgery will be needed if more than one is swallowed. Magnets can cause serious damage by attracting each other through the lining of different loops of intestine. Ultimately, the magnets can cause a lack of blood flow in the lining of the intestine and puncture it.

Other Dangers

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has published 774 toy recalls, warnings, and repair notices since 1974. The reasons vary from fire and choking hazards, to lead paint and small magnets. You can find a list of all recalls on the CPSC Web site.

Also, many toys are made with polyvinyl chloride, or PVC plastic #3, which is often difficult to recycle.