Why is recall focus only on toys?

With all the recent toy recalls, I have been asking myself why just toys.

Let's look at some other things that people are exposed to far more than toys. How about the keyboards for our computers? As I am typing this letter, I ask myself what are lead levels of the actual keys? We all have far more exposure to keyboards than any toy we will ever own.

The telephone, that's made of plastic. The steering wheel in my car, the knob on the paper dispenser in the men's room, the clothes hangers I use, the list could go on and on. Is anyone testing these?

First we had the recall from RC2 for the Thomas Toys; that one I believe was a good call. The first toy recall this year for Fisher Price has been blown way out of proportion.

I am not saying that people shouldn't be leery of what they are buying, but they need to ask, other than toys, what else is made of plastic that they couldn't function in their daily routine without?

I am in my early 40s. How many toys did we suck on when we were kids that had no ill effect on us? Of the toys that have high levels of lead, just what exactly would you have to do to have this lead affect you adversely?

In the recent recall of the Aqua Dots, there was a story of a child less then 2 who ingested one of the dots. What's a 2-year-old doing with a toy marketed for an older child?

Is it tragic? Yes, but most of the stories of children getting sick have to do with children having access to toys geared for older responsible kids. We keep chemicals locked away from young children; why not for toys they shouldn't have in the first place?

The auto industry has recalls every year. They also have unannounced recalls you only find out about after you take your car to your dealership for service. What if you like using your local service guy, then you never find out about these recalls?

Perhaps I am wrong in my accusations about computers, phones, etc. But until I read otherwise, I am going to wonder.

Craig Stewart

Bartlett