| Barbie's packin' lead |
Mattel — once known for Barbie and Hot Wheels and all of my favorite childhood toys — is now, sadly, synonymous with lead-filled choking hazards, to put it bluntly: Barbie’s packin’ lead.
The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSIA) has recently granted Mattel’s request to use its own labs for testing. What? You read that right. Though I’d love to believe that Mattel could be accountable for itself, testing for lead and phthalates is very pricey. And with no one really watching…
Did you know that Mattel spent over $1 million dollars last year in lobbying costs? Hrmm.
In 2008, the CPSC recorded 19 toy-related deaths and nearly 173,000 emergency room visits to kids under 15. Nearly half the injuries were those younger than 5. The CPSC urges parents and caregivers to help reduce the number of toy-related injuries and deaths by ensuring children use toys appropriate for their age and following safety guidelines.
The CPSC offered the following safety tips:
Use proper fitting helmets and safety gear at all times when using scooters and other ride-on toys.
- Keep small balls and toys with small parts away from children under 3.
- Discard broken balloons and keep uninflated balloons from those under 8.
- Avoid toys with magnets for children under 6.
- Immediately throw out the plastic packaging and wrapping from toys.
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By: Bambi Blue
Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and codemonkey living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She moonlights as a jazz musician, a social butterfly, and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter.
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