Illinois watchdog issues report on dangerous toys, recalls and other threats

[November 27, 2024]  By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A consumer watchdog group is out with its annual report on unsafe toys.

The Public Interest Research Group has issued the report “Trouble in Toyland” for nearly 40 years to help parents and caregivers make safer and informed choices during the holiday season.  

“When you pull back the curtain, it’s terrifying,” said Abe Scarr, director of Illinois PIRG. “We often assume that if something is for sale, it must be safe, but in so many cases, these toys are hazardous and they pose huge threats to our children.”

When a person buys an inexpensive toy or any other product online and the seller ships it directly from another country, it generally doesn’t get inspected.

Regulators and lawmakers already concerned about overseas direct-to-consumer purchases have a new player to watch: Online giant Amazon on Nov. 13 announced a new venture, “Amazon Haul,” which the company says will offer “crazy low prices.” Purchases will ship directly to consumers from a warehouse in China.

“They are likely too good to be true because they’re not including important safety measures or going through the rigorous safety testing that products sold in the United States are supposed to be subject to,” said Scarr.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, confiscated more than 1.1 million dangerous or illegal toys in fiscal year 2023.

Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger, a Chicago product safety organization, said any children’s products that arrive at the U.S. border without paperwork that documents compliance with U.S. safety standards are problematic from the start.

“There’s no safety testing on these products,” said Cowles. “It’s illegal.”

One toy the group is highlighting are water beads, a colorful sensory toy that grows in size when exposed to water. According to PIRG, last year there were 6,000 emergency room visits related to the toy, with one fatality. The CPSC in September 2023 issued a warning to families to keep water beads out of any place where babies and young children might be.

“To keep our kids safe, we need to pay attention to where we are buying products from and realize that direct-to-consumer items, while inexpensive and easy to find, can put our families at risk,” said Illinois U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston.