Warning Labels Enacted for Toddler Toys: The...

Warning Labels Enacted for Toddler Toys: The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted this week to implement provisions of a 1994 child protection law requiring warning labels on toys designed for children 3 and older. The law requires that packages of balls, balloons, marbles and other toys inform consumers that the items present a possible choking hazard for such children. The law also bans balls less than 1 3/4 inches in diameter for these toddlers.

The commission said parents often permit children younger than 3 to play with toys intended for older children in the mistaken belief that the product’s age recommendation pertains to a child’s development. Nearly 200 children--more than half of them younger than 3--choked to death on toys between January, 1980, and July, 1991, the government safety agency said.

“This provision will, at minimal cost, assist parents in reducing that tragic toll,” said commission Chairman Ann Brown. The Child Safety Protection Act also requires manufacturers, importers, distributors and sellers of these items to report child choking incidents to the commission.