Halloween Boo! To Consumer Product Safety Commision Chair

...over the summer,

more than 20 million toys

manufactured in China

were recalled in the United States

because of lead paint and other hazards,

despite the fact that

lead paint was banned on toys 30 years ago.

Jean Halloran, a director at Consumers Union

Can't help wondering...what you're wondering about this Halloween?

I'm still wondering about the lead in children's toys and the nonsense going on around the entire issue of product safety in this country.

Wasn't too long ago when all we had to worry about was rotten spots in the apples dropped into out pillow cases...or later, razor blades (if you believed the myths) in the trick or treat bags.

But now...even the costumes...the buckets used to collect candy...and the false teeth meant to scare the other guy threaten the kids and scare the parents.
Amazing isn't it that one man of the 400 (no typo...only 400!) people who work for the Consumer Product Safety Commission...and only one!...is responsible for toy safety testing, and his specialty is small parts! Watching the video as he drops toys to see how they break apart is almost surreal. You gotta see it to believe it...
Because this country is business, and not consumer, oriented products here have always needed to be purchased with a heavy dose of "caveat emptor."
Let the buyer beware...even if the product you're buying is intended for the vulnerable among us...children! So who is abusing and neglecting children in this case? Companies no doubt will point the finger at the parents...their job after all is to protect the children. Let them buy a lead testing kit...oh yeah, but caveat emptor! The kits don't really do what they purport to do...

So here's my Halloween Boo!!! US Congress pretends to scare Corporations and Businesses that import unsafe products that frighten consumers and threaten children. Consumer Product Safety Commission howls that increased fines and whistleblower rewards are tricks not treats. Nancy Nord complains that the legislation Congress is pushing isn't good for her organization... Nancy Pelosi says she should quit...
And this Nancy wishes my name was Bob or something...

A Child is Waiting.
Take care…be aware,
Nancy Lee

Put your teeth in this one!!! And Howl About It...

Acting CPSC Chairman Nancy Nord

recently complained to Congress

about the agency's lack of resources,

and confirmed that

the commission only has one person who tests toys.

CBS News Story

Wondering if you're wondering if today's post is about children biting someone, or someone biting children? Could be, but it isn't exactly like that.


This is about another kind of child abuse and neglect in the news today...although it isn't easy to find out about it. The cynic in me wonders if that has anything to do with protecting businesses' profits over children's health and safety?
I mean after all Halloween will be over in a couple of days so why ruin it for the kids by scaring them and their parents about something that might turn out to be not true? Right? I hope not.

Here's the link to the story from CBS News:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/29/earlyshow/living/parenting/main3422364.shtml
Urgent Call for Recall of Halloween Toys: Professor Tips Off Feds to What He Says are High Lead Levels in Them.

The "toy in focus is called ugly teeth. Besides being ugly, the fake plastic teeth have what the researchers say is 100 times allowable levels of lead in the paint on them." Repeat that slowly... "100 times the allowable level of lead in the paint on them. "

Now remember we are talking about fake teeth here...you know those things kids put in their mouths and chew on... so, as the story points out, although, "They say they also found high lead levels in some Halloween baskets...they say the plastic teeth are of greatest concern, because lead enters the system fastest when ingested."

That means...chewed on and swallowed, right? Something the littlest, and most vulnerable are likely to do, right? So why isn't this news everywhere warning parents? Well, because "It usually takes the CPSC a few days to run its own tests or investigate complaints..." and Halloween will be over then.

But, apparently ever the optimist, "considering how the toys Weidenhammer is worried about could be in the hands and mouths of children Wednesday, Weidenhammer hopes his latest heads-ups become the CPSC's top priority. "

We can only hope, I suppose? How sad is that? Oh, and by the way, all the dangerous baskets and other Halloween toys weren't recalled... and even if they had been that doesn't stop anyone from selling them somewhere without mentioning the "recall."

A Child is Waiting.
Take Care…Be Aware,
Nancy Lee