EcoWaste Coalition Launches Safe Toys Campaign, Urges Consumers to Pick Safe, Non-Toxic Toys for Children’s Health
At the launch of their annual safe toys campaign, the EcoWaste Coalition urged
consumers to always remember and apply the motto “Safety First” before making
any toy purchase.
“Many consumers, more often than not, make a knee-jerk purchase based on the
attractiveness, color, packaging and price of a toy, without paying attention
to safety details,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition’s Project
Protect.
“By applying the saying ‘Safety First,’ parents and other toy givers will avoid
offering toys that could put children’s health in danger instead of providing
them with playthings to support their mental, physical, and social
development,” he said.
To assist consumers in selecting harmless toys, the EcoWaste Coalition has come
up with an eight-point quick “Santa’s Guide for Safe Toys” such as: 1. age-appropriate; 2. well-made; 3. no small parts; 4. string shorter than 12”; 5. injury-free; 6. not coated with lead paint; 7. non-polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic; and 8. labeled and registered.
“These basic tips should help consumers keep kids out of harm’s way and we hope
that consumers would take note of them. We encourage consumers to add more to the
list based on their personal experiences with common toy hazards,” Dizon said.
Some of these common toy hazards include loose or small parts that may be ingested
and bring about breathing difficulties or choking; pointed or sharp edges that may injure
the eyes or cause cuts and grazes; cords or string longer than 12 inches that may
pose strangulation risk; and hazardous chemicals such as lead in paint and phthalates
in PVC plastic that may result in health and developmental problems, the
EcoWaste Coalition said.
As a prelude to the month-long campaign, the EcoWaste Coalition on November 27
to 29 bought 50 samples of toys costing P10 to P150 each from various toy
stores in Divisoria, Manila and had them screened for lead, a toxic metal,
using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device.
Based on the XRF screening results, 20 of the 50 toy samples were found to
contain lead above 90 parts per million (ppm), the threshold limit for lead in
paint under the DENR Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds, which
also explicitly bans the use of lead in the production of toys.
Some of the samples with excessive lead content include: a “Dinosaur PVC Animal
Play Set” with 4,846 ppm, a small “Kid’s World” stuffed clown with 4,300 ppm, a
“Baby & Music” xylophone with 4,253 ppm, a Ninja turtle with 4,205 ppm and a soft
ball with 2,182 ppm.
In addition, the group detected lead on the padlock (a metal alloy) of two coin
cans with matching “Hello Kitty” pencil holders at 15,300 ppm and 16,300 ppm.
Pediatric toxicologist Dr. Bessie Antonio, a resource person of the EcoWaste
Coalition, explained that young children are more vulnerable to lead exposure
because they often put their hands or other objects that may contain lead paint
or dust in their mouths.
“Lead interferes with normal brain development and the damage caused by
chronic, low-level exposure to lead is sadly permanent. The brains and central nervous systems of young
children are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead exposure,” she
said.
Among the damaging effects of childhood lead
exposure include decreased intelligence as measured by IQ tests, reduced school
performance and behavioral problems, including aggression and violence.
According to the World Health Organization, “ there is no known level of lead
exposure that is considered safe.”
-end-
Reference:
http://www.who.int/http://www.emb.gov.ph/portal/
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