Shopping for youngsters this holiday season? You’ll want to
check your list twice to ensure you’re following these updated
toy safety guidelines. Each fall, the Public Interest Research
Group in Michigan (PIRGIM) Education Fund conducts a survey of
toys in preparation for the holiday shopping season. Dubbed
“Trouble in Toyland,” the survey inspects products through four
safety categories—toxic concerns, choking hazards, magnets and
noisy toys. The report has spurred several recalls in the past
and continues to advocate for stronger federal laws protecting
children from potentially harmful products. PIRGIM selects
several toys made of metal and plastic to be chemically tested
at STAT Analysis Corporation in Chicago, said Meghan Hess, a
PIRGIM program advocate. Some of the toxins they look for
include lead and cadmium in metal products and phthalates found
in plastic toys. Lead is harmful to developing brains of young
children but also affects nearly every organ and organ system in
the body, the report said. Th