Recalls for excessive amounts of lead used on toys continues to be an issue. Most recent recalls include Easter toys from Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. of Oklahoma City, toy puzzle sets sold exclusively by QVC and toy airplanes cars and motorcycles from S.U. Wholesale of Vernon Calif., are all on the recent list of recalls.Legislation has been brought to both the House and the Senate, but the heart of the problem remains that products are inadequately tested before they reach the market. And, until pre-market testing is mandated, problems will continue. What is needed is a strong U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission that has the power – and the money – to oversee product safety.
On March 6, 2008, the Senate passed CPSC reforms. A committee will now work to synchronize current House (H.R. 4040) and Senate (S 2663) versions of the reforms before being sent to the President. The reforms are meant to establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children’s products and to reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission. If this is an important issue to you, you are encouraged to write your Senator and ask him/her to pass the strongest bill possible to protect your children.