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The 600 ppm of lead requirement for surface coatings in toys quickly lowers to 90 ppm by Aug. 14, 2009; in substrates it will be 300 ppm by Aug. 14. The American Pediatrics Society based its 40 ppm recommendation on a study of the lead in the soil of the Green Mountains of Vermont, one of the most untouched areas of the U.S. The study's authors have said they never intended the ambient lead content of nature to be a standard for toy safety.

As owner of an independent toy store in Vancouver (Kazoodles), board member of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) and editor of ASTRA's newsletter, I've been deeply involved in toy safety issues. Colleagues in Seattle, San Diego and Ann Arbor have participated in toy testing studies in their communities. While overall about 30% of toys showed problems, testing in specialty stores uncovered only a few toys that didn't meet standards (which my colleagues removed from their shelves). Yet Washington Toxics Coalition and healthytoys.org didn't differentiate specialty stores from the big boxes when they posted their results.

We worked hard to promote federal toy safety regulations because a patchwork of different state standards like Washington's makes no sense in a global economy. Now the federal regulations threaten to put small American companies out of business because they are geared to the giants operating overseas. My hope is for an equitable solution so we can be assured of the safety of all toys without eliminating unique products from small companies that give consumers a choice beyond mass market fare.

As for who pays, in the end it is the consumer. Poof Slinky reports their testing costs have risen 800% this year -- far more than labor, materials, transportation, or the shrinking dollar. It saddens me that this situation has been created by giant companies that put profits before safety. The CPSIA goes a long way toward ensuring the safety of toys, but it needs to be applied fairly to small toy manufacturers. As a toy buyer I'm impressed by the high standards, integrity and passion of manufacturers I've met, but my customers now will have a more objective standard. They will, unfortunately, pay for it in more expensive toys.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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