Mattel Inc. and its subsidiary Fisher-Price have agreed to a record $2.3 million civil penalty as part of a settlement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The giant toymaker knowingly violated a 30 year federal ban on lead paint in toys according to the CPSC. This penalty is the result of an investigation following the 2007 recall of nearly 2 million of the most popular children’s toys including Big Bird, Elmo and Dora the Explorer after tests showed excessive amounts of lead in the paint on the toys.
How did this get to be such a large problem for American consumers? Profit. The majority of toys purchased in the U.S. are made in China and paint with higher levels of lead often sells for a third of the cost of paint with low levels.
Lead poisoning is a serious threat to children’s health. After ingestion, lead enters the bloodstream and is absorbed and stored in various tissues and organs, including the liver, kidneys, brain, bones and teeth. High levels of lead causes many different symptoms and can affect almost every organ system of the body. The most common symptoms include vomiting, belly pain, headaches, muscle weakness, seizures, hair loss, confusion and anemia. Even lower lead levels can cause problems with attention, behavior, decrease in IQ and learning difficulties.
Parents who are concerned their children may have toxic leaded toys that made their way onto American shelves can check for the photos and descriptions of recalled toys at http://www.cpsc.gov or call 1-800-638-2772.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
