We need to advocate for stronger standards and enforcement
The government imposed an outright ban on certain high-powered rare earth magnets that was overturned in court in November 2016. The CPSC said there has been a “statistically significant increase in magnet ingestion incidents and injuries” since then. Still, parents continue to buy magnets for their children, and the CPSC estimates that thousands of children have been treated in emergency rooms because of magnets in the past decade. The CPSC should work with the industry to develop new safety standards requiring reduced strength of these high-powered magnets.
The popular Calico Critters flocked toys are animal figures covered in a thin, fuzzy material with bright accessories that make them appealing to young children. Although these toys are labeled for kids ages 3 years and older because of their small parts, CPSC regulation bans toys with small parts that are intended for use by children under 3 years of age, even if they are labeled with an age restriction by the manufacturer. “Flocked animals and other figures” are included in the list of toys intended for children under three, and the Calico Critters official website clearly describes their product as “animal figures [ … ] made of a special flocked material that gives them an endearing quality.” The CPSC should recall these toys and their accessories as they pose a dangerous choking hazard to young kids.