At some point I became that guy that tells the “when I was a kid” stories, as in “when I was a kid, I had a toy xylophone made from razor-sharp pieces of metal and nobody ever said a word about it being hazardous.” Well, thankfully, the US Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) started doing its yearly Troubles in Toyland report 21 years ago to help, among other things, cut down on hospital trips during the holidays. The annual list was released today and while there are no “electronics” per se on the list, there are plenty of harmful toys and gadgety items on it.
The Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets, for example, have tiny magnets inside the plastic building pieces and rods that can fall out. The report says “if a child swallows more than one magnet, the magnets can attract to each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage.” The makers of the product re-designed the set and started a replacement program back in March, but the PIRG warns that some of the old stock might still be on store shelves.
What the list doesn’t mention is the potential harm to people waiting on line to buy a Sony PS3 or Nintendo Wii. Hit the jump if you haven’t seen the video.
Trouble in Toyland [pirg press release]
2006 Summary of Dangerous Toys [PDF list]