Aug 19 2007
Recent Comments Need to Be Highlighted.
I have just recently received 2 comments I would like to highlight. This first is from Ed Lowenton at Turner Toys. I read his links and they are quite helpful in having a better understanding of the toxic toy issues with China. I am posting my reply below. Unfortunately I have not outgoing mail server at the moment so they will not go out until later tonight.
Ed Loewenton |
Hi there!
It’s great to see that you have thoughtfully addressed the problems of toy safety. I started writing material on the topic in 1998, when the problem was lead in PVC.
http://www.turnertoys.com/PVC_framepage1.htm
Recently in response to the emerging picture of China as having a business culture which has yet to develop a sense of ethics, I have posted 3 pages to inform our visitors, and help them find toys they will feel secure with. We are not against international trade per se, and have been selling Chinese-made toys whose quality has been consistently good, although we are doing our own sample lead tests at present - on ALL toys, regardless of origin.
http://www.turnertoys.com/lead-hazard/default.htm
http://www.turnertoys.com/made-in-USA/country-of-origin.htm
http://www.turnertoys.com/made-in-USA/american-made-toys.htm
Hi Ed.
Thank you for your comment and your very helpful links. IT is nice to see someone in the industry truly concerned and pursuing answers. I will be posting your comment along with your link to make sure others read. IT doesn’t necessarily convince me to discontinue my boycott because for me it goes beyond the recent dangers… I think that is just reaping what we have sown in working with a country that has little concern for ethical practices and human rights. I also think as busy mom’s it is almost easier to just not buy china rather than lead test every product. I have not thrown out all my toys as of yet. And probably will be testing those… or applying the standards you recommended (die cast metal, pains, pvc. etc…) In deciding what will stay and what will go. But in the future, I will just be avoiding China for many reasons.
Thank you for visiting us here at NotChinaMade, I hope that you will come regularly and share your knowledge with us.
Now from Ann:
Ann |
Mommy Zabs, I appreciate your blog so much and hope that it reaches every household in America! I will send it to everyone I know for sure.
You are so right, we must use our power as voters and consumers to take back our country, for there is definitely something wrong. One thing we must now ask ourselves is, “just how many other toxic products have gotten into our homes that slipped through the inspection process (such as it is) ?”. The answer is that there is absolutely no way of knowing. I am more concerned than ever that these toxic toys and clothes may be the reason we have an epidemic of childhood behavior problems in this country such as ADHD, ADD and Autism. These are problems almost unheard of when I was a child.
I, too, realize it is going to be an adjustment to stop buying China-made goods as it spans from pencils to cookware and includes everything in between but we must join together and do what is best for our families, or we are going to have multiple generations that are poisoned and sickly.
We quickly forget (or didn’t pay attention to begin with) that the list of toxic merchandise goes back even further that the most recent toys, dog food, animal feed, bibs and test strips. Not too many years ago it was revealed that the wicks in candles from China were full of lead. I also read somewhere that the stoneware dishes available from dollar stores to fine department stores contained lead. How many of us own them and used them in our microwave! Again, I say we have no way of knowing just what is contaminated and what isn’t. The Chinese government and their manufacturers have shown us they cannot be trusted and our American companies have got to part ways with them. There are so many other reasons not to do business with China that I’m stunned our government has gotten us so involved with them. I’ll save my comments on that subject for another time but wanted to let you know I will spend all my available time researching information for your readers. Please contact me if there is anything with which I might be able to help.
Ann,
What a great comment, thank you. I put in bold the part about ADD, Autism etc… I have heard this a couple of times before. They have not been able to account for the rise in these epidimics… I know there has been some link to vaccines though I am not sure if that has been verified. I heard a dr. say on the news this morning (will probably post a video clip later on it.) that lead exposure to babies strongly effects mental development. I would like to know if anyone has ever done a study on this? AND if someone will be. Seems worth it to figure it out.
Also as far as our government having relations with China. I guess I’m more skeptical, I’m not surprised. It’s all about money… and that goes for both parties. Both sides have been guilty of these things.
Thank you for visiting and I hope that you will input often.
Following is an exerpt from the LEAD POISONING RESOURCE CENTER website (www.aboutlead.com):
Exposure in children: “Often suffer from speech delay, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, behavorial disorders, neurological and renal damage, stunted growth, anemia, hearing loss, and in some cases, mental retardation. The damage done by lead is IRREVERSIBLE.”
I checked to see if any law firm has filed a class action suit against Mattel and found at least one so far:
Keller Rohrback LLP (seattleclassaction.com) as part of this suit is asking for a refund of the price of the lead-tainted toy; assurance that Mattel’s products are certified going forward; payment for lead testing of affected children; and damages to meet the medical needs related to exposure.
Because I fear there are more tainted toys than those on the list released by Mattel, I would hope parents will check with their doctors to have their children tested even if they didn’t have one of those particular toys.
I checked with Home Depot for a lead testing kit and found one in the paint department which sells for about $6. It is a chemical type tester and can test up to 4 items if used according to instructions. Of course, that could get expensive if you have a lot of toys to test. However, if even one toy tests positive, you would know to get rid of it and it would allow you the opportunity to announce your findings and make everyone aware of just what we are facing.
I am reading this blog and this comment and I’m just sitting here almost in tears. I guess I never linked these problems with toys or things made from China. I mean, I’ve read this stuff about lead and China made toys. I am making a REAL BIG effort to not buy this stuff. But still, I am surrounded by it. My kids toys are practically all made in China. Our dishes probably even contain it. My daughter has had problems with learning and is slower than my 5 year old and so all these questions fill my mind and am I the one to blame for buying something that contained lead? And now what am I too do? Throw everything that is made in China away? Wow. I have my little baby too than sucks on these toys and plays with them plus our inlaws are living here and have a 10 month old too that play with these toys. This is pretty scary. Something I definitely need to pray about and get guidance from God about! Thank you so much for bringing these issues to light.
As for the first guy who says he still uses China made stuff but inspects it, I feel like for me…how can I give money to a country that refuses to put safety first? Do they really care about my children? No. So why should I allow my money to go such places? In the end, my children come first and that will show with my own pocketbook.
God bless Liz!
Michelle- I completely relate.
A big concern for me is the child plates i have been serving my kids’ food on, and their sippy cups. From what I have read, hot food on these things increases risk. I would have though “no way” before on the likely hood of these things being safe, after all who would poison a baby, but after the bib issue, I wouldn’t be shocked. When I get some time I’m going to look into these products. Probably later tonight.
-mz