THUNDER BAY -- Some Christmas toys could be hazardous to young children’s health.
That’s the message officials with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit wanted to bring to parents attention as the holiday season rolls around. Many popular toys such as the iconic rubber ducky could contain toxic substances such as lead or phthalate.
The following is a list of products the health unit says people should avoid:
- Brightly coloured and glossy PVC plastic
- Heavily packaged toys and decorations
- Strong smelling toys and decorations
- Inexpensive jewelry, which may contain lead or Cadmium
- Books made form vinyl or foam
- Air Fresheners and scented candles
- Toys with sharp edges, small removable parts, magnets or batteries
- Christmas tree ornaments made of metal or glass and tinsel
Public health nurse Lyne Soramaki said when parents are shopping for toys they should keep in mind where the product was made.
She suggested buying toys made in the United States, Canada and countries in Europe.
“There could be toys that could be potentially harmful especially older toys that don’t fall under the new phthalate regulations and the lead regulations,” she said.
“There are also some toys that come from countries that may not have followed proper procedures. You may have an eye falling off a stuff toy or some potential choking hazards.”
She said that Health Canada had banned phthalates from rubber duckies. When the toy goes into a warm bath, children who put their mouth on the toy can injest the phthalate.
To avoid some of these hazards, Soramaki said that parents should avoid heavy packaged toys, smell them to see if they have any strange odours, check to for recalls of toys and don’t let children suck on items not meant for them such as key chains that could contain lead.
“There’s still lead in toys just at smaller levels,” she said. “There’s products that don’t follow those regulations like key chains, which in some cases could have higher amount of lead than in kids' items.”
For gift ideas, the health unit suggested that parents buy wooden toys that are unpainted or machine washable cloth toys and books that have been printed on recycled paper with vegetable ink.
For more information, visit the Health Canada product safety website or call toll free at 1-866-662-0666.
