The Christmas lights many of us put on our trees and homes this season may be unsafe, according to this article on CNN this morning.
http://www.cnn.com/...
The coating is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) which contains lead. I just checked the light cord on our tree, and there is no warning about possible lead exposure.
Certainly, no one knowing allows or encourages their children to chew on the cords, but as with any electrical device that's common sense, and there is this warning "DANGER: Electrical Cords Can Be Harzardous" with a laundry list of why they can be dangerous, but nothing about lead exposure.
Why is the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) mentioned? A quote from the article, by spokeswoman Julie Vallese:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission insists Christmas lights do not pose an elevated danger of lead exposure to children. A spokeswoman vigorously criticized the CNN tests, saying that using the CPSC's methods for testing lead on blinds and toys "is like comparing apples to oranges and is rotten to the core."
The same Julie Vallese on the spate of toy recalls:
May 2007 - magnets in toys
Because Mega Brands assured the CPSC that stores were selling only the improved versions, the government and the toymaker told consumers that all Magnetix toys on store shelves at the time weren't covered by the recall.
The CPSC, however, did not perform tests to determine whether the improvements made the toy safe. "We take the company at their word until we prove otherwise," Julie Vallese, a CPSC spokeswoman, explained in an interview.
Took the company at their word, and yet apparently didn't do tests to see if they would prove otherwise.
From August 2007, Time Magazine
In theory, the CPSC regulates the reliability of about 15,000 consumer products, including toys. But according to Vallese, her agency doesn't have the authority to test products before they go to market: companies are expected to self-police, and they're each responsible for making sure their products meet U.S. safety guidelines.
...
"Parents should know that no toys are tested by the CPSC, no matter where they come from, China or Kansas," says Ed Mierzwinski of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. "Toys from brand-name companies and brand-name stores are potentially hazardous, as are toys from dollar stores."
Please be safe this holiday season, wash your hands after handling those lights and don't let your kids help you untangle them or hold them as you put them on your tree or home.
Check your gift purchases for recalls, especially toys.
And let's hope the New Year brings about changes at the CPSC: More testers, less reliance on companies to police themselves and the departure of people like Nancy Nord and Julie Vallese.