|
Safe Toys for Our Children Statement of Tom Neltner, co-chair of the national toxics committee of the Sierra Club, in response to today's U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works hearing on lead and children's health. "We are very thankful that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is investigating this growing problem. There have been sixty-two recalls of more than 9.5 million items in 2007 and the year isn't even over. There were 43 recalls by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the previous three years combined. The fact that more unsafe products are being caught is important, but we need a stronger commitment to make sure that dangerous products aren't made in the first place. Put simply, parents, local health departments, and children's health advocates need the federal government to do more to protect children from lead poisoning. "Toys and trinkets should not be making our kids sick. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the CPSC should work together to keep lead out of children's toys instead of just recalling them. The CPSC is overwhelmed and forced to issue piecemeal recalls based on the magnitude of the danger. We call on Congress to direct EPA to complement the work of CPSC by adopting tougher rules and enforcement mechanisms to protect our children. "All countries should ban lead in children's toys and enforce those laws. We encourage parents to remain vigilant about the toys their children use, especially as the holiday gift-giving season approaches. Visit www.sierraclub.org/lead for tips." For a copy of Neltner's complete testimony before the committee, please email Oliver.Bernstein@sierraclub.org or call 512-289-8618. Background: As the largest environmental organization involved in this issue, the Sierra Club has taken a lead role nationally since 2006 in pushing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to improve quality control, strengthen the rules, and get the information it needs to protect children. After a child in Minnesota died as a result of eating a pendant containing lead on a pair of Reebok shoes last year, the Sierra Club petitioned both EPA and the CPSC to strengthen rules and enforcement. The Commission granted the petition and has taken steps to ban lead in toy jewelry, and now the EPA is taking action as well. Lead can affect the brain development of young children and has been directly linked to a wide range of learning disorders. While lead paint in older homes is the major cause of childhood lead poisoning, many children are also being exposed to toxic lead through the toys they love and the products they use. More than 300,000 American children have blood levels high enough to cause irreversible damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Every one of these cases is avoidable. Tips on keeping children safe from lead toys can be found at www.sierraclub.org/lead. |
