Mattel Refuses to Officially Recall Toy with Lead Levels Eight Times Legal Limit
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 01.30.08
Way back in September Mattel’s chief executive Robert A. Eckert said the company "will do the right thing" when it comes to lead in toys. But 56 U.S. Lawmakers recently signed a letter headed his way that reads, essentially, "Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining."
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Why? Well, when Mattel promised to do the right thing they apparently meant within the exact letter of the law but certainly not the spirit of it. Failing to issue the nationwide recall of a plastic toy blood-pressure cuff sold under the Fisher-Price brand with lead levels at eight times the legal limit.
Granted, they did begin accepting them back from any retailer or customer nationwide who called a toll-free number beginning in December along with a recall in Illinois, but they did not recall the toy nationwide nor widely publicize the problem as they would have been required to do under the guidelines of an official recall.
And as Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland pointed out about the lack of a nationwide effort to get the red or green blood-pressure cuffs out of the hands of kids, it reeks of hypocrisy because if Mr. Eckert "knew his child had one of these toys with this kind of lead in it, I know he would not allow his child to be having such a toy."
Perhaps the folks at Mattel could use some pointers on what it means to do the right thing.
See also:: Lead Exposure in Early Childhood Can Lead to Premature Aging of Brain in Later Life
via:: NYT
Does Toys Are Us carry Mattel toys?
And people wonder why my daughter has so few toys...
Money and greed is what is leading this problem of lead paint on toys. the makers don't care just as long as they can tunr a quick dollar. I used to work for Parker Brothers Games when they were in Salem, Mass. till they closed because most of the toys were going to made over seas. So we lost our jobs our safety to make sure toys are safe for us and now we have to pay for that. Bring back our jobs here and stp the greed of the Comapnys. It makes me sick everytime I hear of this becuase when working at Parker Brothers people took pride in what and how things were made, but now it seems like who cares money if it made cheap and you can make a buck. Who cares if it makes kids sick .... not even your goverment will do anything about it ... so look around you and think before you buy toys they're not safe as you think they are ... try to loacl mad toys or ones made in the USA they are out there .....
I believe Mattel needs to be taught a lesson. Our children's safety is never for sale! People need to get fired, a petition started. This is criminal! This is doing bodily harm. I would like to charge them with assault on our nation's children.
>Dr. K.
Actually, Mattel has in fact made a recall of these cuffs if they are the ones found in the medical kit but only in Illinois I hear..doen't make it right though...