Massachusetts attorney Thomas M. Kiley concentrates on defective product liability cases and is concerned about the large numbers of lead tainted toys imported from other countries which have less strict safety standards than the US. Last year, over 45 million toys and children’s products – 30 million from China – were recalled, according to an article in the Seattle PI Newsource, In fact, China currently makes 80% of the toys in the U.S. Over 140 of the 152 consumer product recalls for unsafe lead materials issued in the past six years have been products manufactured in China. There are currently 400,000 children suffering from lead poisoning in the U.S. These startling numbers prompted both the House and Senate to pass legislation imposing the toughest lead standards in the world, banning lead beyond minute levels in products for children 12 or younger. This legislation takes effect February 10, 2009, It also bans children’s products – either permanently or pending further study – containing six types of phthalates, chemicals found in plastics and suspected of posing health risks. For more information on this new legislation, go to the website of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Parents should be concerned about lead levels in toys because it is a heavy metal and a poison that can slow mental and physical growth in children. In the US, the National Institute for Environmental Health Services researches lead and the effects it has on people, and children in particular.
