In the midst of alarming toy recalls this year, parents would be wise to ask the following questions this holiday shopping season: Is this toy tainted with lead or other dangerous chemicals? Does it pose any other hazard? How can I be sure this toy is safe for my child?

While there may not be quick or easy answers to these important questions, members of Congress, consumer advocacy groups and parents must take concerted steps to better protect our children.

For starters, parents need to stay informed. Shoppers should check out the newly released 2007 Trouble in Toyland report compiled by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.  This informative report offers important safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that pose potential safety hazards. To view the full report, visit the USPIRG web site at www.calpirg.org.

So why do parents need to take it upon themselves to learn about toy safety? Because the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - the government agency responsible for monitoring consumer goods in the United States - does not test consumer products before they are offered for sale. From chainsaws to Barbie dolls, it is the manufacturers, importers and retailers who are responsible for guaranteeing that the products they sell meet all mandatory and voluntary safety standards.

It is time for Congress to address these glaring deficiencies in the safety review process.

First, Congress needs to effectively ban lead in any jewelry, toy or other product intended for children under 12. Exposure to lead, even in tiny amounts, may lower a child’s IQ and cause other developmental or behavioral problems.

Second, we need mandatory testing of children’s products by independent third-party laboratories to guarantee import safety. Imported products should also be subject to greater traceability and labeling requirements.

Third, the CPSC needs more authority to issue greater civil penalties for violations – an increase from the current maximum of $1.8 million to at least $100 million. The penalties must be an actual deterrent, not just the cost of doing business.

Finally, Congress must arm the CPSC with an adequate budget to responsibly carry out its job. While imports have quadrupled since the agency was founded in 1974, its budget, when adjusted for inflation, is less than half today of what it was then. As a result, staffing cutbacks have taken a toll. Only an estimated 15 of the agency’s approximate 420 staff members (down from a total of 978 in 1980) are on duty as import inspectors at hundreds of ports of entry. Clearly, more needs to be done to police the product safety marketplace. In addition to restoring the agency’s budget to hire needed staff, any new federal law must allow state attorneys general to help guard against harmful toys getting into the hands of children. We need an army nationwide of consumer cops on the beat, not just the CPSC.

This holiday season, as Congress works under a new Democratic leadership to make toy safety a priority, shoppers, lawmakers and manufacturers alike must be vigilant against possible toy hazards. Working together, we can and must do more to prevent dangerous toys from reaching our children.

(Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard is serving in her 8th term in Congress and sits on the House Appropriations Committee.  The congresswoman’s 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles includes: Bell; Bellflower; Bell Gardens; Boyle Heights; Commerce; Cudahy; Downey; Downtown Los Angeles; Huntington Park; Little Tokyo; Maywood; South Park; Vernon; Walnut Park; and portions of Chinatown, East Los Angeles, Florence, Pico Union, and Westlake.)

(Steve Blackledge is a Senior Policy Analyst for CALPIRG. He provides policy and strategic guidance for the organization, primarily focusing on the issues of health care and consumer protection. He has appeared on CSPAN and CNN, and has been quoted in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, as well as numerous other newspapers and media outlets in California and throughout the country. He began his career with the state PIRGs in 1991.)
 

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