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NEW YORK, NY -- New warning labels on toys that could
choke small children will mean a safer holiday season
according to an announcement made today by Consumer Product
Safety Commission Chairman Ann Brown.
Standing before a huge display of toys at FAO Schwartz,
Chairman Brown displayed the new warning labels and said
that adults will now have new information to help them
choose toys that are safe for children. Brown was joined by
officials from Prevention Magazine, which released a survey
on toy safety.
"These warning labels will appear on all toys made for
children from three to under six years old if those toys
pose a choking hazard to younger children," Brown said.
"These labels tell parents two critical things: They let
them know that a toy isn't safe for children under three,
and why its not safe."
The labels are required to be on all toys marketed for
children from three years old to under six years old and
manufactured after January 1, 1995, if those toys present a
choking hazard to children under three.
"Before now, parents and grandparents had no way of
knowing that the toys they bought for older children could
be a danger to younger kids," Brown said. "Now they will
have that information right in the store, and will be able
to make a purchase based on safety. In addition, they will
be able to buy a toy for an older child, knowing that they
need to keep that toy away from younger children at home."
According to figures released by the CPSC, 5,000
children were taken to hospital emergency rooms in 1994 for
aspirating or ingesting toys and parts of toys. Since 1980,
nearly 200 children choked to death on balloons, marbles and
small balls -- toys now covered by these new CPSC labeling
requirements.
In 1994, CPSC had reports of 18 toy-related deaths.
Thirteen of those deaths were associated with choking.
"These deaths were not only tragic, they were
preventable." Brown said. "We want people to use these
choking hazard warning labels to help them know which toy is
safe for which child. We hope the information we are giving
out here today will help protect our children, and make this
a better holiday for everyone."
During her remarks, Brown stressed the CPSC's
commitment to toy safety throughout the year -- not only
during the holidays. She cited figures showing the CPSC
recalled 10 million toys and children's products in 1994,
and had stopped three quarters of a million unsafe toys from
being imported into the United States.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
protects the public from the unreasonable risk of injury or
death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the
agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a
product-related injury and for information on CPSC's
fax-on-demand service, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772
or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To order a
press release through fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051
from the handset of your fax machine and enter the release
number. Consumers can obtain this release and recall
information via Internet gopher services at cpsc.gov or
report product hazards to info@cpsc.gov.
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