Lead-laden toys were scary enough
Now apparently I need to worry about my girls ingesting a date rape drug.
Yes, you read that right.
Two children in the US and three in Australia ingested beads that are part of the Aqua Dots toy (As Seen On TV) - beads that are coated with a chemical that metabolizes into gamma hydroxy butyrate. GHB is a central nervous system depressant that produces euphoric, sedative, and anabolic effects.
As disturbing as they are, I’ll admit that I’ve not personally worried much about the recalls due to lead content. We simply don’t buy many of the types of products that were recalled - character-themed items from big box and discount stores. We also haven’t bought many toys recently because, frankly, we have enough as it is.
But now I’m starting to think more about it.
My five year-old knows not to put toys in her mouth (What goes in our mouths? “Toothbrushes, straws, silverware, food and drinks,” she dutifully replies), but my two year-old still thinks taste is one of the best ways to identify foreign objects. Just yesterday she brought a doll over to me and showed me where she’d gnawed the tip of the doll’s thumb. She routinely puts play food in her mouth (or licks it, at the very least - those plastic ice cream cones are just begging to be licked). While she seems to know not to put items in her mouth that could actually be swallowed, I’d still rather she didn’t use her sense of taste quite so extensively.
So I continue to battle her oral fixation, as parents have done for generations (Now Jebediah, you put down that cow patty! That ain’t FOOD!). But now it’s become more than just a matter of teaching her good habits and avoiding choking hazards.
I’m not fully informed as to lead content levels - what’s allowed, what’s been found, and what’s enough to cause adverse health effects - and I haven’t heard whether any deaths have been attributed to the lead found in the toys that were recalled. I’m somewhat inured to such specifications, having taken courses in Epidemiology and Public Health in which I learned how many spiders are allowed per jar of peanut butter, and I choose not to think too hard about those spiders or whatever else I might accidentally ingest. None of it has been life-threatening.
But it’s a different story when it comes to my kids - not just because they’re mine and I adore them beyond words, but because it takes fewer spiders (or lower levels of lead) to produce adverse effects in those little bodies. As a consumer, I trust that manufacturers and government scientists and health specialists are working together to ensure that they establish and adhere to certain standards. And it’s disconcerting to see so many breakdowns in what should be a close partnership.
However, it’s much more than disconcerting to learn about toys coated with a chemical that can actually kill kids if it’s ingested. It’s a trust-shattering deal-breaker.
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The Parent Bloggers Network has teamed up with Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports) to host a Blog Blast this Friday calling attention to the toy recalls and how parents are addressing the issue in their very own toy boxes. No fabulous cash prizes this time, but you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a highly visible discussion that concerns us all. Visit PBN for more details.
November 8th, 2007 at 4:55 am
I saw this story yesterday just as I returned from Target with 3 packages of Aquadots!! They were going to be birthday gifts. My daughter already had this and now I have to pack it up and tell her it is dangerous. ARGH!
I felt much like you about the lead situation, but this. NO WAY!! Now I am totally pissed!!
November 8th, 2007 at 6:31 am
My daughter just came home last week with Aqua Dots from a birthday party she attended (and actually the whole birthday party revolved around them). How disappointing! Now I have to throw them away. I was even concerned that our little dog would get ahold of them and eat them! The lead recalls actually have bothered me to the point where I began googling and researching a couple of months ago to see if there ARE any toys made in America. The good news is that I’ve actually found a BUNCH of sites, over 100! I’ve compiled them on a website, http://www.toysmadeinamerica.com. Please visit it and support these companies who are keeping jobs here in America while making safe, quality products for our kids. Check back often as I’m constantly updating the site as I learn of more sites to add. Thanks! Teresa
November 8th, 2007 at 7:06 am
It is so scary! What next?
Kids are going to have to start playing with sharp sticks and dangerous playground equipment like we did.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:26 am
This literally made me ill.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:39 am
This one was particularly horrific. Like you, we don’t have a lot of the previously recalled toys. And the oral fixations our kids have (*thumb*ahem*pacifiers*) keep other bad stuff out of their mouths. But this? this is truly disgusting.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:58 am
OMG! Are you telling me that no one at the Aqua Dot company did any kind of chemical research first? They had NO IDEA that the beads are coated in a chemical that turns into GHB if ingested? That seems pretty close to criminally negligent, if you ask me. I’ve already told my husband we are only buying toys for Kaitlyn that are made by companies we know and trust (Melissa & Doug, for example). And none of this trendy crap being advertised every five minutes on Nickelodeon (Light Sketchers, for example). I’ve just about had it with cheap plastic junk.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:06 am
as if i wasn’t already pissed off about this, now you have to go and ruin peanut butter for me? thanks a lot, julie. thanks a lot.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:43 am
I read this this morning and could not believe it.
Honestly I’m thinking of books, art supplies (God is PlayDoh even safe?) and clothes for Christmas. But I know I will cave and get that damn Barbie Island Princess doll that Caitlin wants.
Sigh…
November 8th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
they still have them out in the stores you think they would have them pulled right away
November 8th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
I agree - you’d think the As Seen On TV site would have pulled the product as Amazon has already done.
November 8th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Guess what!!! Declan got this for his birthday!!! And loves it!!!
No wonder!!!
November 8th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
How crazy is that? Can you imagine a bunch of teenage boys getting lucky at the Christmas dance this year because their younger sibling had some Aqua Dots around??
November 8th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Yikes! Like you, I let the lead thing slide because I felt….what?….immune? But this one is really scary. I find it difficult to believe what is getting into our homes on aregular basis now. Thanks for the heads up.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I will be paying very close attention to this issue and the blog blast. I think it’s a great idea to work with CU and I’m really glad PBN is branching out to talk about the issues people care about most.
November 9th, 2007 at 7:42 am
[…] Lead-Laden Toys Were Scary Enough […]
November 9th, 2007 at 9:42 am
This makes my stomach hurt. I can’t even think of a snarky comment to leave.
November 9th, 2007 at 10:34 am
[…] Lead-Laden Toys Were Scary Enough […]
November 9th, 2007 at 11:00 am
I hear what you are saying, but I can’t help but feel that NO lead is safe when it comes to developing minds. All these recalls are enough to make your head spin.
My entry is here
http://mamaknj.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-toy-warning.html
November 9th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
In all matters environmental, there’s always a trade-off. Adding lead to paint makes it brighter, more durable, faster-drying - all qualities that appeal to manufacturers and consumers - and using lead to achieve these qualities, versus other additives such as zinc or organic pigments, is cheaper.
We can eliminate lead from consumer paints entirely, but there’s a cost. Those of us writing about it are willing to bear that cost, because we understand the trade-offs. But it’s the consumers who don’t understand, who are driven primarily by low prices and by following trends, that make up the majority of the market for these cheap, durable, potentially dangerous toys.
November 9th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
I’m seriously rethinking the toy policy around here. So far we’ve avoided all the cheap character-type toys, but where do we draw the line? Is Lego in or out? Little People? Crayola products? Gah!
This Christmas it’s all about books, I’m starting to think.