Toys: January 2012 Archives
By Marianne Frederick
There are some children's toys which could give parents and children a headache--like the Super Luchamania Action Figures. They were made in Mexico and the surface paint on them contains an excessive amount of lead violating the federal standards for lead paint in children's toys.
Approximately 7,000 packs of the Super Luchamania Action Figures, which were sold in packs of 12, are being recalled, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced yesterday, in cooperation with importer, Lee Carter Company of San Francisco, California.
Why is excessive lead in surface paint on toys dangerous to children? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Basic Information on Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil, lead can be absorbed by a child's body more readily than an adult's.
As we know, babies and young children often put toys in their mouths. Some painted toys can even have lead dust on them. Children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. If not detected, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from different maladies including damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning problems, such as hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems, and headaches, to name only a few. http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfo.htm#health.Please take a look in your children's toy box to check whether these toys are there. The multi-colored Super Luchamania male action figures are made of plastic, have various colored plastic capes and measure about four inches tall. "Super Luchamania" is printed on the action figures' package. The packs of 12 action figures were sold by Mexican specialty craft stores throughout the United States from June 2000 through October 2011 for between $12 and $14 per pack.
Parents and caregivers should remove the action figures from children's access and return them to Lee Carter Company for a full refund or credit toward another Lee Carter product. Consumers may contact Lee Carter Co. by calling collect at 1(415) 824-2004 anytime, or visiting the firm's website at
www.leecartercompany.com.To view a photo of the Super Luchamania Action Figures, please visit the CPSC website at:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12092.html.##
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Build-A-Bear Workshops and Health Canada, has announced a recall of 297,200 Colorful Hearts Teddy Bears from markets in the U.S. (284,000) and Canada (13,200). The toy has been recalled due to the presence of a possible choking hazard. The 16" teddy bear's black plastic eyes can become loose and detach from the toy, making the plastic eyes a choking hazard to young children.
The recall of this toy, a colorful, plush, stuffed animal manufactured in China, came less than two weeks following a $600,000 settlement of a civil penalty against Build-A-Bear. Build-A-Bear had been cited for failing to immediately report a defective toy beach chair, of which 260,000 were sold from 2001 through 2008. The CPSC had received ten reports of injuries believed to be caused by the defective toy. It's important to note that Federal law requires that manufacturers, distributors and retailers must report to the CPSC within 24 hours after receiving information that reasonably supports the conclusion a product contains a defect, which could create a substantial product hazard, or an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with any consumer product safety rule or any other rule, regulation, standard or ban enforced by CPSC.
The Colorful Hearts Teddy Bear was sold by Build-A-Bear Workshops throughout the U.S. and online at www.buildabear.com from April through December 2011 for $18 (U.S.) and $23.00 (Canada). Parents and caregivers need to remove this toy from their children's access and return it to any Build-A-Bear store to receive a coupon for any available stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear.
For information and return instructions, consumers can contact the firm on their toll-free number at (866) 236-5683 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and on Sunday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. They can also visit the firm's website www.buildabear.com or contact the company to receive more information by email at colorfulhearts@buildabear.com
To view a photo of the Build-A-Bear Colorful Hearts Teddy, please visit the CPSC website at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12068.html
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