NEWS RELEASES
Buyer Beware: Those shopping for children should heed warnings before fullfilling holiday wish lists

HOUSTON (Nov. 21 2006) – As the busiest shopping season of the year descends upon us, shoppers for children’s toys have much more to worry about this year than long lines at the cash register. Traditionally, the weekend following Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday gift-buying frenzy as crowds swarm shopping centers looking for that perfect gift. But parents, just like Santa, need to check their list twice before purchasing gifts for little ones this year.

The 2006 “Trouble in Toyland” list of the year’s most dangerous toys, released by the Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG) and Texas Children's Hospital, contains more than 50 toys that pose choking, toxic chemical exposure, hearing loss, strangulation hazards and other dangers to children. In its 21^st year, the report continues to provide parents with safety guidelines to use when purchasing toys for small children, and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that pose potential hazards.

“A happy holiday can turn disastrous in as little as 30 seconds – the time it takes for a small object to become lodged in a child’s throat and cause serious injury, and even death,” explains Dr. Ricardo Quinonez, attending physician of emergency medicine at Texas Children's Hospital, and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. “Our hope is that parents and others that will be buying gifts for small children this year will see this list and follow the guidelines when making their purchase.”

According to TexPIRG, hazardous toys continue to be sold in stores across the country. “While we can report substantial progress after 21 years of advocacy on behalf of America’s littlest consumers, we are still finding trouble in toyland,” explains Colin McKellips, a field organizer with TexPIRG.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that in 2004, 16 children died from toy-related injuries and 73,000 children under the age of 5 sought treatment in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries. “Even one toy-related death is too many, because these deaths are preventable,” says McKellips.

Choking on small parts, small balls and balloons continues to be the leading cause of toy-related deaths and injuries. New to this years list is magnetic toys. Currently, no labeling or performance standards govern magnetic toys. However, if a child swallows more than one magnet, the magnets can attract to each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage.

“It’s important for parents to always be vigilant and not assume that all toys on store shelves are safe and adequately labeled, because many of them are not,” says Dr. Quinonez. “However, parents should also know that many of the toy-related deaths are caused by a misuse of the toy, which is why it is so important that toys be age-appropriate and that an adult always monitors playtime.”

Quinonez also urges those making online purchases to be extra cautious. “While the Internet offers consumers the convenience of avoiding long lines at the toy store, Internet purchasers won’t see the child safety choke-hazard warnings on the products, as what is required by law on toys sold in stores,” said Quinonez.

TexPIRG notes that the toy list in the “Trouble in Toyland” report is only a sampling of the potential hazards, and asks shoppers to take time to examine toys on this years shopping list carefully before making the purchase.