It's coming up folks ... that one day of the year where parking lots are mobbed, lines are endless, and the deals are outrageous (sometimes).
But this post isn't so much about what will go on across this county on Friday. It is about the long term effects of the toys purchased that day, opened on Christmas, and recalled a month later.
On Friday, the CPSC Recalled thousands of Halloween Toys ... 16 days after Halloween.
If we aren't hearing about Halloween toy recalls until the middle of November. When are they going to recall the most popular Christmas toys. I'm guessing somewhere around the Super Bowl. And by then, it will be too late. Thousands of kids will have this years Tickle-Me-Elmo by the time the CPSC decides its time to recall the toy.
This is the agency that is supposed to be protecting us from dangerous products? This is the agency supposed to be looking out for consumers. This is the agency that is supposed to hold manufactures accountable?
Well yes, it is supposed to be. But it's not.
And that is why Nancy Nord needs to step down and Congress needs to pass HR 4040.
It shouldn't take the CPSC weeks and weeks to recall toys that
contain excess levels of lead
Our children can’t be playing toy box roulette each time they get a new toy. Without holding the manufacturers of these dangerous toys accountable, it won’t be long until one of your loved ones is a victim of one of these toxic toys.
There is another great Website that talks about this issue and offers up to date info on products that you might buy. Please check it out.
But it's not just fears of Lead in paint that should be concerning you. Here is the most appalling recall I've read about recently:
Aqua-Dots, a children’s toy made in China marketed to ages four and up, has already put 9 children in the hospital. The jelly-bean look-a-like beads are in fact covered by a toxic chemical coating. The chemical, once ingested, turns into GHB – the Date Rape Drug.
The millions of toy recalls over the past few months occurred while Nancy Nord, the chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, was being flown around the country at the expense of the very toy manufacturers that she is supposed to be regulating.
But while Nord was doing the rounds on talk shows trying to keep her job even more foreign made toys were being recalled and the most appalling, Aqua-Dots, was being yanked from store shelves.
From lead paint to the date rape drug, something has to be done. Someone has to be held accountable. Toys shouldn’t have to include a warning label with possible side effects!
When Congress returns after Thanksgiving, the House of Representatives will consider a bill to increase funding, personnel, and authority for Consumer Product Safety Commission. By holding foreign manufacturers accountable, this bill would be a momentous step in keeping hazardous toys off the shelves and out of your shopping cart.
Call or Write Your Congressperson This Thanksgiving And Let Them Know That Congress Must Do More To Protect Our Children
Here is a sample letter to get you started:
After even more recalls of toxic toys in the last two weeks, Congress must do something about protecting our children from dangerous foreign products.
Aqua-Dots, a children’s toy made in China marketed to ages four and up, has already put 9 children in the hospital. The jelly-bean look-a-like beads are in fact covered by a toxic chemical coating. The chemical, once ingested, turns into GHB – the Date Rape Drug.
Just last Friday, the CPSC finally recalled a Halloween Toy for excess and illegal levels of lead paint. The only problem was, it was recalled more than two weeks after Halloween!
CPSC needs more funding, more personnel, and more authority to prevent hazardous toys from being imported.
I urge you to support HR 4040, a bill that will enable the CPSC to better protect our children.
There's a great site that has a Legislative Directory called People Over Profits. You can go there, put in your Zip, and get contact info for your Congresspeople.
It might be to late for millions of consumers who will inevitably go to the Malls on Black Friday and unknowingly toss lead painted, GHB coated, toxic toys into their shopping carts...
...but if we can help prevent just one child from dying in the future, isn't it worth it?
Please take time to contact Congress. This is the best time, with the Holiday shopping season upon us, to bring up this appalling issue and finally get some much needed change.