COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The Colorado Public Interest Research Group, also known as CoPIRG released their report on both dangerous and toxic toys.
They found toys with magnets can come dislodged, and if ingested would cause serious developmental problems, small parts of toys that cause choking hazards were left unlabeled, and noisy toys that exceed the legal decibel level which could be harmful to America's littlest consumers this holiday season.
CoPIRG has found toy restriction age labels ripped off, and toys with small parts not labeled at all!
They've been conducting this research for 27 years and past reports have led to more than 150 recalls.
Representative Justine Bufmack said some toys fit inside the "choking hazard" test tube, but don't have a label. "Depending on who the product is marketed for, they don't need a label," she explained.
She said just because it passes the legal "choke test" doesn't mean it's not a threat. "It only has to have a choking label if it's recommended for children under 3. But children over 3 can still choke on these kinds of toys," she explained.
The group said you can do the recommended checks at home with a toilet paper roll. If any part of the toy fits inside the tube, children younger than 3 years old shouldn't play with it.
They also warn of toys that produce music or noise. Some of those didn't pass the group's decibel limit, and by national standards, can cause hearing loss. Examples are the "Dora the Explorer" guitar and B. Toys' "Funkeys" both of which tested above the legal 85 db limit.
But a lot of folks don't think twice about the labels. "What I should be thinking about perhaps, is safety. But for some reason I think if I look at it, it will occur to me," Patty Cameron said.
While getting what your kid wants is important, most people agree the responsibility falls on the buyer and the parent. "It's a catch-22 cause you want to make sure you get their kid what they want because of what's on T.V. but you don't want to be in the kitchen and look away for a minute and have something happen," Brittany Taliaferro added.
You can check CoPIRG's full list and report your concerns from your smartphone at www.Toysafety.Mobi.
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