‘Trouble in Toyland’ Highlights Safety Risks on Store Shelves
Published at
David De Lossy/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Some of the holiday’s most popular toys might also be the most dangerous.
According to the annual “Trouble in Toyland” report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, many of the toys on this year’s list pose choking hazards.
“New magnetic toys are made with extremely strong magnets that cause severe internal damage if one or more is swallowed,” said the group’s Nasima Hossain.
The group wants the Consumer Product Safety Commission to make its choke test cylinder larger and believes toys with rounded objects should be tested under the more stringent “small ball” test.
“We’ve been arguing for the choke test cylinder to be larger so that children under three are better protected,” Hossain said.
“We found numerous near-small parts which do not violate the small parts rule, but children have choked on toys that are bigger than the choke tube,” she added.
So what’s an easy way for parents to determine whether a toy is too small for their children?
“An empty toilet paper roll,” Hossain advises on behalf of U.S. PIRG. “If a toy fits in this tube, it is too small for a child under three.”
DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT: “TROUBLE IN TOYLAND”
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio