The Year Of the Recall
After 2007 became “the year of the recall”, the New York Times is reporting on The Consumer Product Safety Commission reform bill and what it means to parents and consumers. As manufacturing becomes cheaper and cheaper and moves to other countries, the public cry to keep products as safe as possible for children can be heard loud and clear. But was the government moving on that? For decades they weren’t, but now real action is being taken.
The pressure on Congress to reform safety laws came after “the year of the recall,” as consumer advocates labeled 2007. Barbie accessories, Thomas the Tank Engines, toy magnets, lead-coated jewelry — the list of untouchables found in family toy bins alone was alarming. Almost 30 million toys and 15 million children’s products were taken off the market last year because of lead or other hazards. This bill would create mandatory toy standards as set by an international safety organization. It would ban lead in children’s products and require third-party testing and certification for products going to children age 12 or under.
Also included on the bill is the ability for the safety commission to act quickly regarding the removal of toxic toys from shelves, as well as ban six kinds of a chemical named phthalates which has been linked to reproductive issues as well as cancer. The commission will also set up a website for consumers to voice any complaints they may have regarding products they find in stores. Jeff Lichtman, a senior partner at our firm, talks about this much needed reform:
Although The Consumer Product Safety Commission reform bill is long overdue, Congress has taken a very important step in protecting American consumers. The bill which permanently bans 3 types of toxic chemicals from children’s products is absolutely necessary. We are delighted any time the government decides to step in and take hazardous products off of shelves.
