Consumer federation of america. After my comments, we will open it up for questions from you all. Today we are here to release the u. S. Education fund, 32nd annual toy safety report, trouble in toyland. The message today is clear, we need to protect our youngest consumers from dangerous toys and parents and consumers need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for these toys. Over the past 30 years, our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other actions to take dangerous toys off store shelves. Now, this year, when our researchers went out looking for potential hazards, we once again found toys and products that could harm or poison a child and we found these toys in National Chains all over the country from Dollar Stores to big box stores, like target. Our report also lists the over 30 toys that were recalled by the Consumer ProductSafety Commission. Parents should compare this list with toys they already have in their homes to make sure that they dont already have recalled toys. You in, with recalls for large products like cars, you know, you have people that are actually let people are notified by the manufacturers. Thats not always the case with manufacturers with toy recalls. So, thats why we want people to check for them in their homes. In 2008, policy makers responded to an unprecedented wave of toy recalls bypassing a law that revamps the Consumer Products Safety Commission and gave it tools to better protect kids. This includes speeding up recalls, with publicly accessible data base. And banning heavy metals such as salates in toys and Third Party Testing of toys. Some of the products still out there, you know, do not adhere to these standards and also, there are standards that actually need to be strengthened in order to better protect our kids. There are six different types of categories of toys that we particularly want to caution parents and care givers about. That is toxic toys, data collecting toys, choking hazards, magnets, toys and batteries that can overheat and catch fire and overly excessively noisy toys. So some of the most dangerous toys out there for kids are actually invisible because they contain toxic substantials such as the heavy metal lead and chemicals known as phthalates. Lets talk about lead. We know about the dangers posed by lead. It was in 1978 and in gasoline nearly as long. Lead is a neuro toxin that lowers iq and causes behavioral problems and you know, what we did was we sent out toys that we purchased at National Retailers across the country and sent them off to a cpsc certificated laboratory to see if they had lead in them. So, there is a legal limit of 100 parts per million of lead in childrens products and our lab results showed that there is an excessive amount of lead in two of this years hottest toys, fitting spinners. This digit premium spinner brass which we got at target contains a whopping 33 parts her million of lead, 330 times the legal limit for lead allowed in childrens toys and products. And we also found another Fidget Spinner which exceeds the legal limit for lead in toys. And we also got that at target. So, on november 10th, target did announce that they are removing these products from their toy shelves, but at first they balked at our request to do so. They cited a Consumer ProductSafety Commission rule that states that generally use products directed to consumers 14 and up do not have to adhere to the legal limits for childrens products directed to kids 12 and under. But as any parent or teacher will tell you, kids definitely play with Fidget Spinners regardless of the label on the box, not to mention that at the time of the testing, target. Com, their website actually recommended this Fidget Spinner for kids six and up. Now, we do commend target for taking these dangerous toys off of their website and their store shelves, but now, its time for the cpsc, target and bullseye toy, the supplier of these toys to actually issue an official recall. Its great that by taking them off their shelves no new person will be exposed to these toxics, but we also have to make sure to protect those who already have them in their homes and thats why we need a recall. Also, in order to protect children in the future from toxics like this, the cpsc needs to revise its loose and arbitrary standards for labeling products like this. Cpsc stands for the Consumer ProductSafety Commission and now its time for them to stand up for consumers. Now, lets talk about another taxic called falates. Theyre connected to reproductive and problems in children. And theres a final rule last month to bans any toy or childrens product with over 1,000 parts per million of five different thalates. Weve been calling for several years for them to ban the other five and were glad to see them do that. Now, id like to talk about a new category of toy that is making its debut for the very first time in our reports. And that is internet connected toys that pose a privacy concern. Just this july, the fbi issued a stark warning to parents to consider Cyber Security before introducing, you know, these internetconnected toys that, you know, are smart and interactive. The number of these products is growing daily. Websites, mobile apps and products including childrens watches and toys can track users and collect information on children under age 13 who are actually currently protected by a law called the childrens Online Privacy protection act. Now, an example of one of these toys is actually this doll here called my friend kayla, which we purchased at walmart. Now, here is the problem with kayla. Kayla is actually already banned in germany for privacy violations and several consumer groups have filed an official complaint with the federal trade commission over privacy concerns what these groups are alleging is that kayla can actually be accessed on a bluetooth connection without password which means she can be used as a headset, a speaker or a mic. What this mean is that a stranger can use kayla to spy on your kids and talk to your kids. If thats not creepy, i dont know what is. Hello, mike. Okay. That is in fact, very creepy. Okay. So, another problem with kayla is that she also collects answers to questions that kayla asks your child, like their name, their pets, or really anything and that goes up to a website that could be used for pretty much any purpose. And these consumer groups allege this is also a violation of existing childrens privacy laws. Okay. So, now id like to turn to choking hazards. Which are the leading cause of recalls. We all know that toddlers put everything in their mouths. Tragically, from 2001 to 2015 there have been at least 114 choking deaths or asphyxiations on toys by children. So toys are banned if the toy or any part of the toy can fit into this choke test tube. Toys with small parts that are intended for children between the ages of three to six are required to have a choke hazard warning. Unfortunately, we found this gulf wooden toy at dollar tree, which has parts in it that actually fit into the choke test tube. This is a choking hazard and it does not have the appropriate label. Small balls are subject to a more stringent test and basically small balls that fit into this test cannot be sold to kids under three. Now, any ball that is marketed to kids over three has to come with a special small balls warning. There are two things that we think need to be improved. This small parts choke test actually needs to be made larger because children choke on toys that are larger, that go over this tube. Also, we believe that toys that are not quite balls, but still very clearly round should be subject to the small ball test. Especially toy foods because kids might they theyre actually food and try to put them in their mouth. Now, we tell parents and care givers that there is a reliable test that we all have at home and thats a standard sized toilet paper roll. If a toy or a part of a toy fits into this roll, then its not suitable for children under three. Now, lets talk about balloons. Children can easily inhale balloons when trying to blow them up and then they get stuck in the back of their throat. Balloons are the leading cause of choking deaths among children and, you know, all balloon packages must contain a label saying that they are a choking hazard for children under eight. We found five different types of balloons at party city, dollar city plus, and dollar tree that have labeling problems. For example, this package of Party Balloons we got a dollar city plus says its not suitable for kids under three, but it doesnt actually have the legally required label saying its a choking hazard for kids under eight. Okay, were also concerned about high powered magnets which rachel will talk about in a little bit during her comments. So now lets talk about overheating batteries. Hoverboards are still a prime example of this and still pose a hazardment tragically rorl this year there was a house fire that took the lives of two young girls and a firefighter. That was believed to have been caused by a hoverboard that was charging, overheated and caught the house on fire. Just last month, there was another house fire, also believed to have been caused by a hoverboard. Numerous hoverboards are taken off the shelves by the cpsc, were encouraging parents to make sure that any hoverboard has the certification sticker. They warn that that does not guarantee that the hover board will still not overheat. Finally id like to talk about nosy toils. The cpsc has not recalled a toy that was excessively noisy, but children have the most chance of hearing loss. And it affects their hearing loss. It might be due in part for children playing with loud toys. You know, we warn parents especially to be cautious about toy cell phones because kids put them up to their ear and their ears are very fragile. If you think that you have a loud toy at home, you can put tape over the speaker or just simply take the batteries out. So, you know, in conclusion, the cpsc has made a lot of progress over the last decade protecting our kids. We hope that it will continue to do so, that congress will continue that congress will give it the resources that the commission needs in order to protect the kids. There are hazards out there that need to be addressed. We believe that the small parts choke test needs to be made larger. We believe that toxic policy in our country needs to be overhauled because there are thousands of chemicals not regulated or inadequately regulated. We also strongly urge the cpsc to Work Together with target and bullseye toy, the Fidget Spinner that we found this year to issue an official recall. What can kids, caregivers, what can parents do . You can go to our website, toysafetytips. Org to get our report, get the list of potential hazards out there and get the list of recalled toys from the last year. Pull it up on your smart phone when youre out shopping this Holiday Season and go to saferproducts. Gov for problems with toys or Consumer Products. We want to remind people what we are going over are examples of hazards in toys out there. You still need to be vigilant about other childrens products and toys out there and also, parents should heat the fbis warning about internetconnected toys. So now, i had a he like to introduce dr. Jarvis. Good morning. My name is dr. Lenore jarvis and i am a pediatrician. Im here today representing the American Academy of pediatrics. The ap is a nonprofit professional organization of 66,000 primary care pediatricians. Pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, wellbeing of infants and young adults. Unintentionnal injuries remain in the United States, the fifth leading preventible cause of deaths for newborns underage of one. Almost 9 million children annually are treated for their injuries at the emergency department. And ap supports reducing child morbidi morbidity two of the hazards that concern us are lead and high strength magnets. First, lead. Lead exposure can cause serious damage to childrens developing brain. There is no safe lead level exposure in children. With lasting decreasing in cognition documented in children and blood levels as low as five micrograms in the blood, at that level the c. D. C. Recommends evaluation and interventi intervention. However, all elevated lead levels are a concern. Further, most children would elevated lead levels are asymptomatic. As the lead levels rise, children may complain of nonspecific symptoms, such as headaches, abdominal pain, loss of appetite or constipation. High powered magnet sets also give us great concern. These sets are composed of tiny high powered magnet balls and cubes, often with 200 or more magnets to a set. When more than two are swallowed it allows them to find themselves across or in between the digestive system. Connections can occur between the stomach and small intestines, between the small intestine and the colon or across the bowel. To keep children safe, the American Academy of pediatrics has following ten tips to help caregivers get safe and appropriate toys for children. Number one, read the label, warning labels give us Important Information about how to use the toy and what ages the toy is safe for. Be sure to show your child how to use the toy the right way. Number two, think large. Make sure that all toy parts are larger than your childs mouth to prevent choking. Three, avoid toys that shoot objects into the air. They can cause serious eye injuries or choking. Number four, avoid toys that are loud to prevent damage to your childs hearing. Five, look for stuffed toys that are well made. Make sure that all parts are on tight and seams and edges are secure. It should also be machine washable, take off any loose ribbons or strings to avoid strangulation and avoid toys that have small beanlike stuffing that can avoid choking if swallowed. Thin plastic may break easy. Seven, avoid toys with toxic materials, that could cause poisoning. Make sure the label says nontoxic. Avoid chemical kits younger than eight years of age. Make sure older children know how to safely handle these kinds of toys. Nine, electric toys should be ul approved. Check the label to be sure and lastly, ten, be careful buying crib toys. Soft objects, loose bedding, or objects that could cause increased risk of entrapment, suffocation or strangulation should be kept out of the crib. Any mobiles or crib gyms must be out of babys reach and must be removed when they push up on hands and knees or when thanks for the opportunity to talk about how to keep kids safe. Good morning, im Rachel Weintraub, legislative direct and counsel with Consumer Federation of america. Consumer federation of america is a Nonprofit Association of approximately 250 consumer groups that since 1968 has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy and education. Cfa is proud to stand with u. S. In releasing the report trouble in toyland. This years findings highlight that hidden hazards continue to pose risks to children. We congratulate them on their 32nd year of providing Important Information how to avoid unsafe toys and find the right toys for the children on their list. The Consumer Product safety act gave new authority to the u. S. Consumer product Safety Commission or cpsc to protect children from unsafe products. Safety standards, independent third period of time testing, increased port inspections stop more dangerous toys than ever before from reaching toy shfls. The cpsia requires that consumers purchasing toys online see the relevant safety warnings as they decide what toys to purchase, helping consumers select the right products for their children. Parents and all consumers should continue to carefully research and select the safest and most appropriate gifts for their children or the children on their list. Manufacturers should ensure that they comply with the law, continued cpsc enforcement and Adequate Funding is necessary to further product our nations children. Parents and others can make toys safer by reporting hazards in toys to safer products. Gov and by looking at safer products. Gov before a product is purchased. Consumers should also check to make sure that products they own or products they seek to purchase have been recalled. 28 toys were recalled in fiscal year 2017. This number is up from 24 in 2016, but down from 172 in fiscal year 2008 when the cpsia was passed. In fiscal year 2017, more than 745,000 toys were seized at u. S. Ports for violating toy standards. Cpscs cab collaborative work prevented toys from entering the u. S. Its critical this work could continue. Hidden hazards could be lurking in your home. Its imperative that childrens products not contain lead, not ignite fires and not cause Serious Health consequences from ingestion. This years trouble in toy land report found that popular Fidget Spinners contain very high levels of lead. This should not happen. There is no safe level of lead. These products have play vl for children and are used by children as toys. These products should not pose risks to children as they play. Target did the right thing by stopping sale of these products, but now its up to cpsc and the manufacturer of these products to recall these products so that those already in consumers hands be removed. Serious danger is posed to children and teens by high powered rare earth magnets. Here is an example of a magnet set. These products have play value for children and pose hidden hazard that parents dont anticipate. First, its hard to tell if any of these are missing because they come in these sorts of sets. And as dr. Jarvis explained if more than one of these is swallowed it can rip internal tissue posing Serious Health threats. Unfortunately these products are