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Toy Safety Month: Bush's bill bans b.s.

By Megan Roth

On Sunday I gave a brief intro to some of the issues surrounding toy safety; in it, I mentioned that, in August, President Bush signed a bill into effect that banned the presence of lead in an attempt to protect consumers.

I also raised the question of why this bill was just passed, when issues surrounding exposure to lead have been on the table for years. Well, folks, it seems I’m not the only one who finds controversy with this issue.

Evidently there are many critics of the fact that the Bush administration hindered the regulation of lead paint on toys.

History lesson: for decades we’ve known that lead paint is toxic and can cause extensive brain damage and even death when ingested by children. In the late 1970s, the U.S. banned lead paint with one exception: toy manufacturers may use it to coat toys so long as it’s used in amounts less than six hundred parts per million.

Okay, they’d obviously done their homework; extensive research was conducted to determine that levels under .06 percent are safe. However, isn’t it better to be proactive? Wouldn’t you think they would’ve looked at the research and said, “Though levels under .06 percent are considered safe, we’re talking about products that are going to be distributed to children whose immune systems aren’t near as strong as an adults; thus, let’s set the cap for the safety regulation at .05 percent in order to protect them in the most efficient way possible.”

Perhaps I'm an idealist because I would think so, but no - they didn’t. And this is one issue many critics are quick to point a finger at: consumer advocates claim previous administrations have shifted the focus from the protection of children to a more manufacturer-friendly approach.

And the Bush administration hasn’t escaped these criticisms; the spokesperson for a governmental watchdog group (OMBWatch, which was formed in 1983) claims the Bush administration has avoided enforcing a significant policy because the regulations for such are a large cost for the industry.

Touché. My point exactly.

But the recent issues surrounding the presence of lead in Chinese-manufactured products (combined with the fact that over 80 percent of all U.S. toys are made in China) has finally forced the administration into addressing the issue.

Last year, President Bush asked the Department of Health and Human Services to report on ways to better ensure safe imports.

So have they? Evidently. As the holiday season grew nearer, China rushed to reestablish itself as a credible producer of safe, high-quality products. To do this, it meant that they have to meet U.S. criteria, but also that they must meet their own country’s heightened standards for safety.

The increases in quality control have been costly on both ends – which has proven especially challenging in a time where every party (political, corporate, independent and all) are looking for ways to cut costs at each and every corner; however, the heightened standards are well worth the financial strain considering the fact that these simple measures will (not can, but will) save lives.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on December 15, 2008 (boomark / email).