From toxic chemicals to a Barbie ‘spy,’ new toys harbor hidden hazards
You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!
If you’re a holiday movie buff like me, you’ll never forget the hard-luck Ralphie from “A Christmas Story.”
He was desperate to get his hands on a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas — and all he kept hearing was how he was practically guaranteed to hurt himself.
But let’s face it — holiday toys injuring our children is no laughing matter. And the toy store shelves this year are lined with dangerous duds that could harm or even kill kids — including some that may surprise you.
If you’re a last-minute shopper like me, steering clear of these toys could help keep the children you love out of danger.
And even if you’ve already finished your shopping, you still have a few days to make a wise — and potentially life-saving — exchange.
But, for the most part, that’s not the case. That’s why consumer watchdogs like the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) and World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) publish their annual lists of toys that can endanger our kids’ health and even privacy.
Here are some of the toys they’re warning about this year:
Risk #1: Physical injury or death
- Jurassic World Velociraptor Claws: I’m sure there’s more than one child on your list who can’t wait to wear these dinosaur appendages that allow him to “claw like a raptor.” And that’s exactly how someone can really lose an eye!
- Kid Connection Doctor Play Set: Apparently little kids never tire of playing doctor — and this toy is a choking hazard that could lead to a real-life trip to the ER. Sold at Walmart and Amazon.com, the Doctor Play Set encourages kids as young as two to stick a plastic tongue depressor into a friend’s or sibling’s mouth.
- ELC pull along zebra: Some of the most frightening toys out there are those intended for the very youngest consumers, like this innocent-looking pull toy. It has a string that’s almost twice as long as industry standards allow for toddlers, and can easily get wrapped around a child’s throat.
Risk #2: Accidental poisoning
This year, once again, there are several popular toys being sold that contain high levels of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. They include:
- Fun Bubbles Jump Rope: Found at Dollar Tree, this toy has 10 times the legal limit of a dangerous chemical called DEHP. It disrupts hormones and can cause reproductive problems down the road. Pregnant women should also keep away from DEHP, because it can harm fetal development.
- Minions locking pencil case: Those little Minions cartoon characters are especially popular this year, but this pencil case has high levels of chromium that has been linked to respiratory problems and even cancer.
- Slinky: We’ve all heard the catchy jingle about what a “wonderful toy” the Slinky is. But some models are packed with so much chromium, you’ll be wondering how they ever ended up on the market to begin with.
Risk #3: Toys that spy on our kids
But of all the toys mentioned, Hello Barbie has got to be the craziest one. It’s on the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood’s “Worst Toys of the Year” list.
Not only is “Hello Barbie” dressed in the latest fashion, she’s also a kind of high-tech wonder woman doll. Because hidden in her necklace is a microphone that connects to your home Wi-Fi and sends everything your little girl says right to Mattel and a partner company.
And that’s not all. This Barbie’s friends in the “cloud” hang onto those private conversations for “research and development,” leading one child advocacy group to call her “Surveillance Barbie.”
From the hazardous to the invasive, it’s obvious that the innocent joys of buying toys for the children we love can easily turn into disasters if we let down our guard.
To see the full U.S. PIRG list, go here.
Sources:
“These are the 10 ‘worst toys’ this holiday season” Laura Lorenzetti, November 19, 2015, Fortune, fortune.com
“Jump rope, surveillance Barbie make troublesome toy lists” Charles Elmore, November 25, 2015, Palm Beach Post, palmbeachpost.com
