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Office of the Attorney General
Attorney General Conway Urges Consumers to Consider Toy and Product Safety this Holiday Season
Attorney General Jack Conway urges Kentucky consumers to consider toy and product safety information when making holiday purchases.
"I want the holidays to be as safe and happy as possible for Kentucky families," said General Conway. "Being aware of the latest product safety measures and recall information can prevent potential injuries and possibly save lives."
A guide to the latest toy and product recall information is available through the Office of the Attorney General’s website at http://tinyurl.com/yckyenb. Consumers can also find product recall information through the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) website at www.cpsc.gov . The CPSC is the federal agency responsible for developing safety standards for thousands of products from toys to power tools with the goal of protecting the public from unreasonable risk of bodily injury or death.
When the CPSC identifies a dangerous product, it issues alerts and can require the manufacturer to issue a product recall. For Fiscal Year 2009, the CPSC completed 465 cooperative recalls involving 229.6 million consumer product units that either violated mandatory standards or presented a substantial risk of injury to the public.
The following are a few of the toys recalled in 2009:
- Wii 4-Dock Battery Recharge Stations — Recalled on August 11, 2009 due to concerns the battery pack could overheat, posing a burn or fire hazard. The Psyclone Essentials brand was sold nationwide at Target, Toys "R" Us and online at www.amazon.com.
- High School Musical Manicure Kits — Recalled on January 27, 2009 because glitter on the pouch for the manicure kit contained high amounts of lead. The manicure kits were sold through LTD Commodities and ABC Distributing catalogs and online at www.lakeside.com from September 2008 through November 2008.
- Leap Frog "My Pal Scout" Electronic Plush Toy Dogs — Recalled on July 24, 2009 because the decals on the paws of the plush toy can be removed and ingested by a child, posing a choking hazard. The toys were sold at Toys "R" Us stores nationwide and online at www.toysrus.com and www.leapfrog.com and other retail websites from May 2009 through June 2009.
- Children's Fishing Poles — Recalled on March 25, 2009 because paint on the reels of these fishing poles contained high amounts of lead. The Zebco brand fishing poles were sold at discount department and sporting goods stores nationwide from August 2007 through December 2008.
Other Important Holiday Safety Tips:
- Follow recommended age ranges on toy packages.
- Read instructions carefully before allowing your child to play with a toy received as a gift.
- Be aware that children age three and younger can choke on small toys and toy parts with a diameter of one and three-quarters of an inch or smaller.
- Be careful with gift bags, wrapping paper, ribbons and bows. These items can cause suffocation and choking hazards to a small child.
- Remove strings and ribbons from toys before giving them to young children.
For more information from the Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection, visit http://ag.ky.gov/cp . You can also call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 888-432-9257.
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