Tips for Holiday Shopping When Toxic Toys Abound

Don't be surprised if parts per million (ppm) becomes a common saying around dinner tables this holiday season. Just in time for the holiday shopping, the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has released a study that tested more than one thousand children's toys for lead and other toxic chemicals. You can find the list at their Web site: http://www.healthytoys.org. (It may be slow to load or unavailable at first due to heavy traffic.) The study measured levels of chemicals such as cadmium, chlorine, mercury, and arsenic as well as lead, all chemicals listed of course in parts per million. You can view the list by name or category, and the individual toys have been given a "low," "medium," or "high" ranking regarding their danger. Many un-recalled toys have made the list. Because of this, parents are understandably panicked. Since many of the chemicals detected are embedded in the toys, this independent study found more than government testers of just the toy's paint. However, I'm not sure panicking is the proper reaction. I'd suggest a more healthy response of vigilance. These embedded chemicals are less likely to leach and harm your child, but the Ecology Center makes a good point when it asks why these chemicals need to be used when healthy alternatives exist (besides because they are cheaper, that is).

The answer? Don't buy anything made in China, of course. Well, that's what you hear many consumers decrying. Even the Democratic presidential nominees in a recent debate on NPR were united in their boycotting of Chinese toys this Hanukkah and Christmas. And it's true that many of the "high" danger toys are manufactured in China. Unfortunately, 80 percent of the toys on U.S. shelves are from China. However, avoiding Chinese made toys (good luck, by the way) won't keep you completely safe from harmful toys; according to this USA Today article, "most of the toy recalls in the last 20 years were due to design problems by the U.S. toymakers, not manufacturing problems that were the fault of Chinese or other foreign plants." Although China may currently have a higher number of toys being recalled, by percentage you'll find that the United States runs pretty even. The U.S. toy market is small, the Chinese, large. Let's say China has produced 100 toys, 50 of which have been recalled (this is not based on any evidence-it's just an example). Fifty bad toys? Holy crap! Now let's say the United States has made 10 toys, 5 of which have been recalled. Five toys? That's no big whoop. But, fellow toy buyers, even though China has been up to bat more than we have, we have the same batting average.

So, here's what you do. Check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site often. They have an e-mail alert you can sign up for as well. The CPSC recalls all products, not just toys. Read Consumer Reports studies, such as this one titled "Five Things Parents Can do to Avoid Lead Poisoning." Don't buy vintage toys, don't buy kid's jewelry, and avoid dollar-store knockoffs. If you do want to avoid Chinese made toys, FAO Schwartz is helping by allowing you to search for toys by country of origin. However, be prepared to pay a higher price. Go through the list of toys on Healthy Toys Web site for peace of mind. The site even offers ways that you can have toys tested. But, most important, don't panic. Don't freak out. Don't believe every opinion piece you read (except for mine of course). Lead has been around forever-and it's likely this scare will increase vigilance on the part of the toy manufacturers, distributors, and sellers, as well.