Dear Jeff,

I've heard so much about the Consumer Product Safety Commission  (CPSC) cracking down on toys. The last thing I'd want to do is buy something that is dangerous. When I was a kid, there were controversies over toy guns and choking hazards. Things seem so much more complex today. Is it all hype, or do I need to think about getting the toys tested myself? I heard that there is such a service available: http://bit.ly/4vQg2F.

Toy safety has been in the news ever since a handful of products from China exceeded lead safety levels a couple of years ago. The safety limits in place at the time were already very low. They were put in place more than a generation ago, when kids were being exposed to high levels of lead from old chipping paint on indoor walls, and from leaded gasoline. Those sources of lead exposure and their cumulative effect were many times worse than even the most offending toys.  Especially with background lead levels so much lower today, the main lead concern is from chipping paint in dilapidated buildings. Very low levels of (often inaccessible) lead paint on toys just isn't something we should worry about.

Yet as is its wont, Congress overreacted to the lead scare from imported toys. They passed a law, the Consumer Product  Safety Improvement Act, which, instead of strengthening the CPSC, tied its hands, making toys more expensive, but not any safer. The law lowered lead limits to absurd levels, required draconian testing procedures, and provided treats to special interest activist groups.  For instance, the agency is forbidden from considering whether lead in a product intended for children is likely to chip and be consumed. The results have lead to some pretty whacky outcomes.  All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's) designed with safety features for children had to be pulled from the market because of lead in the battery. Some teens are now left riding much more dangerous ATVs designed for adults. But at least they won't get lead poisoning from chewing on the battery.

Unfortunately, politics and attention grabbing headlines rule the day.

Remember the scare about the Zhu Zhu Pets? A University of California at Berkeley professor, Dara O’Rourke, sparked the scare, when his for profit company, GoodGuide, used an unreliable testing method and distorted their findings. The CPSC assured consumers that Zhu Zhus were safe, but the damage was already done.

Please don't let these scares dampen your enthusiasm for being a good aunt and buying safe and fun toys for your nephews and nieces. Perhaps the best safety advice I can offer is that instead of just buying a toy, also give the gift they will appreciate the most, your time, and play it with them, to ensure both their safety, and their fun.