Fisher-Price: Caught Red-handed, But Still Peddling Lead

By Ed Mierzwinski, Federal Consumer Program Director, PRG

It's one thing to have state pride, but quite another to have state bias when it comes to protecting kids from unsafe toys. Apparently, Fisher-Price is stepping up and recalling unsafe toys...but only for their customers in Illinois.

After Consumer Reports magazine and the Attorney General of Illinois found that a red Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff contained lead at 7 to 9 times the legal limits in Illinois, Fisher-Price agreed to recall it.

But only in Illinois.

Until we strengthen federal law, we need to convince Fisher-Price to recall the lead-laced toys nationwide. While we are at it, we want them to take our Corporate Safety Challenge.

Please take a moment and urge Fisher-Price to recall the lead laden toy everywhere .

Fisher-Price is the first corporation we're directly challenging to sign on to our Corporate Safety Challenge. It's one way that we're holding corporations directly accountable for the products they sell. The more e-mails they get from you, the more likely they are to act, so click on the link and also forward this e-mail along to others to take action.

All you need to know about toy shopping...but were afraid to ask

By Meshawn Ayala, Iowa PIRG Citizen Outreach Director

For the last 22 years we've released our report about unsafe toys: "Trouble In Toyland." Every November, we catalogue unsafe toys that we find on store shelves. It seems even more important this year, after so many recalls of toys, food and other products. And it's even more critical as we get closer to the busiest shopping day of the year.

But even after all the recalls and all the media attention, we still found a Curious George doll with lead at five times the current limit, a toy cow with lead paint at nearly 50 percent more than legal limits, and lead-laced play jewelry -- one piece was actually 65 percent lead, which is more than 1,000 times the legal limit!

Click the links below to read our report, as well as the list of unsafe toys and tips for parents.
Report
Tips

With so many unsafe toys, we can't rely on the news coverage to inform shoppers. Please forward this email to all of your friends and family who might be buying toys in the coming weeks.