Many Hazardous Toys Still for Sale, Group Alleges

L.A. Times Archives

Nov. 22, 1995 12 AM PT

From Reuters

WASHINGTON —

Dangerous toys are still for sale in stores nationwide despite passage of new U.S. safety standards last year, a consumer advocacy group said Tuesday.

In its 10th annual Trouble in Toyland survey, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said it was inappropriate to sell balloons for toddlers and urged parents to keep them away from children under the age of 8.

The group deemed 18 toys potentially hazardous, including some it said violated new labeling and other standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal regulator.

It said at least six children had choked to death on the old version of Little People figurines made by Fisher-Price, a Mattel unit, even though these figurines pass the safety commission’s small parts test. Fisher-Price made Little People much bigger in 1991, but the consumer group found the old version still for sale this year.

Mattel did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Many of the other offending toys were made abroad, including China, Sweden, Hong Kong, Spain, South Korea and Thailand.

The standards, tightened by the 1994 Child Safety Protection Act, are designed to prevent children from choking on small parts they might swallow. The law mandates warning labels on toys intended for children ages 3 to 6.

At least 31 children have died since January, 1994, playing with toys, and about 166,000, about half under age 5, were treated in emergency rooms for toy-related injuries in 1994, the group said.

It said choking on small toy parts, balloons and small balls continued to be the leading cause of toy-related deaths, killing about 15 children and seriously injuring 2,700 annually.

Two of this year’s toys breach rules increasing the size of small balls in toys intended for children under 3 from 1.25 inches in diameter to 1.75 inches, the group said. Other toys showed the need for stronger standards, it said. Describing balloons as the “leading choking killer,” it said 11 children ranging in age from 7 months to 5 years had choked to death on whole balloons or pieces since January, 1994.

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Dangerous Toys

U.S. Public Interest Research Group reported that surveyed toy stores and found 15 toys that could pose choking hazards to young children and three that could pose other risks.

Cited for choking hazards:

1. Press ‘n’ Go Construction Truck, manufacturer unknown, China

2. Train, Brio, Sweden

3. Choo Choo Train Set, Gordy Toy, Hong Kong

4. Super Animation vehicles, manufacturer unknown, Korea

5. Piano Phone, Spains, China

6. Corrole Doll, Corrole S.A., France

7. Dinosaur eraser to fit on pencil, Sanrio, California

8. Big Buddy five-piece dump truck, Buddy L., New York

9. Puppet Beads, No. 2047, EDDU Toys, Thailand

10. Old version of Little People, drive-in Movie No. 2454, Fisher-Price, New York

11. Generic off-brand small people Farm and Circus sets, manufacturer Fun and Learn.