Consumers Reminded to Observe Safety Tips When Buying Toys
30 July 2024, Quezon City. Some cheap toys being offered for sale outside public elementary schools in Metro Manila pose choking hazards and other safety issues.
The environmental and health watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition made this observation following the test buys it conducted on July 29 coinciding with the opening of the school year 2024-2025. The assorted toys were obtained from retail stores in close proximity with public elementary schools in Caloocan, Makati, Malabon, Manila, Navotas, Pasay, Quezon and Valenzuela Cities.
With its latest toy sampling, the EcoWaste Coalition hoped to amplify the reminders put forward by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the safe selection and use of toys to prevent the risk of choking among children as contained in Advisory No. 2024-0896 issued last month.
To determine if the toys it purchased pose a choking hazard to kids, the group used a printable do-it-yourself “Choke Guard,” which the FDA adapted from the “Choke Check” of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
As explained in the said FDA Advisory, the anti-choking tester tube, which is designed to imitate the size of a child’s throat, “provides a quick and reliable way to evaluate the safety of toys and other objects before they are introduced into a child’s play environment.”
After printing the “Choke Guard,” the toys were then slipped through the roll one by one. According to the FDA, “if an object fits entirely inside the roll, it poses a potential choking hazard and should be kept away from young children.”
Out of 45 toys, 20 passed through the hole effortlessly, indicating a potential choking hazard, the EcoWaste Coalition said. Also, the 45 toys are either inadequately labeled or not labeled at all, and all of them lack the required market authorization from the FDA.
Aside from being small in size, some of the toys also have small components or parts that can easily break or detach, posing choking hazards. Tiny water beads (which expand when soaked in water) and small magnets may also pose life-threatening risks to kids when ingested.
Additionally, the EcoWaste Coalition detected other safety issues in some of the sampled toys:
a. Imitation fan knives (balisong) and other toy weapons can cause accidental cuts, lacerations or eye injuries.
b. Some marbles are laden with toxic cadmium.
c. A plastic balloon contains benzene, a carcinogenic substance.
d. An artificial nail set comes with an adhesive containing dibutyl phthalate (DBP), an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) banned in cosmetic products.
e. A “Bombs Away Flying Toy,” which comes with an 8-shot ring cap containing potassium chlorate, red phosphorus and other chemical compounds.
f. Slime toys may contain unsafe levels of boron.
To protect young children from unsafe toys, the EcoWaste Coalition reminded consumers, parents in particular, to heed the following safety tips:
1. Choose age-suitable toys. Check the recommended age on the product label and select the one that is appropriate to your child’s age, abilities, habits, and maturity level.
2. Pick toys that are durable and well-made. A sturdily made toy will last longer and will be safe for parts that could break or fall apart with frequent use. Detached or shattered parts could injure or pose a choking hazard to a curious child.
3. Shun small toys and those with small parts to reduce the risk of choking. Marbles, tiny balls and toys with button cell batteries and small components pose a choking risk. As a general rule, toys and toy parts should be bigger than a child’s mouth.
4. Avoid toys with a cord longer than 12 inches to prevent strangulation incidents. Toys with a cord or string longer than 12 inches can be deadly as it can wrap around the neck and asphyxiate a child.
5. Go for injury-free toys. Refrain from procuring toys that can injure a child’s ears, eyes, skin and body such as toys with pointed parts, sharp edges and those that can eject small objects such as toy pellet guns.
6. Reject lead painted toys. Refuse painted toys if there is no assurance that the paint used is safe from lead, a neurotoxin. Lead paint has been banned in children’s toys to prevent childhood lead exposure that can result in intellectual impairment, mental retardation and behavioural problems, among other adverse effects.
7. Avoid toys made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. PVC plastic toys contain chemicals additives such as toxic phthalates that can leach out when a toy is chewed or sucked.
8. Patronize duly labeled and authorized toy and childcare articles (TCCAs). Notified TCCAs have undergone quality and safety assessment by the FDA.
https://www.fda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FDA-Advisory-No.2024-0896.pdf