Before giving toys, check if they're safe

The first big weekend of holiday shopping is over. Chances are you bought a toy for your child, grandchild, nephew or niece. If so, have you checked recall lists to make sure that toy isn't on it?

Does it pass tests for lead content and choking hazards?

Where was it made?

Are you sure it will be safe when your child or relative plays with it?

If you don't know the answers to these questions, you either need to get answers before Christmas or get a different gift. Now is not the time to be ignorant of hazardous toys, as 2007 has had a record number of toy recalls, Daily Herald staff writer Joseph Ryan and the Associated Press reported last week.

That statistic could be taken two ways: Either we are doing more testing or there are more hazardous toys on the market. The answer depends on your point of view.

"Toys today are undergoing more inspection and more intense scrutiny than ever before," said Nancy Nord, acting head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

"It is clear we need a new commission," said Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, accusing the safety commission of becoming a corporate "lapdog."

Legislation is pending, and may be voted on in December, to boost funding for the commission and implement new regulations. Given what's happened this year, that's welcome news.

Millions of toys have been recalled this year, Ryan reported. The Illinois Public Interest Research Group singled out about a dozen toys last week that it believes could be dangerous and were available on the market.

Some posed choking hazards, such as plastic screws in a play tool set. One, a red ray gun, exceeded federal noise standards and could harm a child's ear drum. Another, a set of magnetic earrings, could puncture intestines if swallowed.

But the ones with lead are the hardest to find because expensive lab testing is needed to be accurate.

In the end, arming yourself with knowledge is one of the best ways to avoid buying a dangerous toy.

First, know that in general, most identified lead-based toys have been imported from China. Lead can be in paint, metal, vinyl or acrylic parts of toys.

Also know that many of the lead-related recalled toys have been purchased from dollar stores.

Read product warning labels.

Sign up to receive direct e-mail notices of recalls at www.cpsc.gov.

And be sure to double-check any products offered online against those recall lists.

Giving a toy for a gift should bring a smile to you and the child. But make sure you do your homework first.