NEWBERRY — Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and the associated shopping lists of considerable length, it can be easy to overlook the safety concerns of products marketed toward children.
Assisting on that front is the non-profit organization World Against Toys Causing Harm, which has been educating consumers for more than 40 years.
According to their website, “Most people have no awareness of the lack of adequate mandatory pre-market safety testing of toys and children’s products in contrast to the rigid rules that exist for food and drugs.”
The site also claims that in the United States emergency rooms treat a child for a toy-related injury on average every three minutes.
W.A.T.C.H. emphasizes that because 46 percent of this year’s total toy sales are expected to come from online purchases, parents and caregivers should take extra precautions.
“Not restricted by bricks and mortar and, in many cases, regulations, consumers buying toys on the Internet are already at a disadvantage as they are unable to touch and physically inspect a toy and its packaging at the time of sale for more obvious hazards,” the website stated.
In an effort to keep the public informed W.A.T.C.H. annually release a list of the season’s 10 “worst toys.”
This year features a veritable rogues’ gallery of hazards including the risks of choking, strangulation and blunt force trauma.
While many products can pose similar threats, W.A.T.C.H. notes these particular items made the list after failing to identify specific hazards in their advertising or on the packaging.
For instance, the popular Jurassic World Raptor Claws, into which children insert their hands, pose the threat of eye and face injury. W.A.T.C.H. reports that the accompanying advertising encourages kids to “claw like a raptor” while neglecting to state the obvious safety implications of such behavior.
Another toy on the list is Skipit’s Wheely Cute Pull Along, a stuffed dog on wheels whose tiny hubcaps can potentially break off and pose a choking hazard.
Similar to the Wheely Cute is the Pull Along Zebra. While no tiny parts are used in its construction, the Zebra does feature a 21-inch pull along chord, far exceeding the industry standard of 12 inches and creating a strangulation risk.
And while other toys do point out some safety concerns, there could possibly additional risks not stated. A toy gun on the list does prominently warn users of a choking hazard but does not mention another grave danger.
Excepting the orange tip, the all black Foam Dart Gun appears strikingly similar to a real firearm. The dangers of such a toy were displayed on a national level following last year’s fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy in Cleveland by a police officer who mistook his toy for an actual threat.
Sergeant Michael Bullock, assistant coordinator of Toys for Tots in South Carolina, said that the charity will absolutely not accept toys that replicate a weapon of any type.
While recalls are instituted in many cases, W.A.T.C.H. stresses that these are “reactive” and not “proactive” measures.
“The best weapon in the fight to prevent injuries to children continues to be safely designed and manufactured products,” claims W.A.T.C.H.’s website. “While recalls are an important safety measure, they are only a band-aid for the larger issue: dangerous toys shouldn’t reach the hands of consumers in the first place.”
For more information and the full list of the season’s worst toys, visit www.toysafety.org.