Apparently warnings are not enought for stupid people.
The following linked page has been tossed about in the media as though toy makers are deliberately selling poison as candy and knives as lollypops. The 10 most Dangerous Toys of the Year! Toys that KILL!!! Link
To hear all the warnings and see the main site, you would think that toymakes are trying to kill the very individuals they are marketing to.
Many other toys and children's' products have been recalled as the result of additional hazards, such as excessive lead content, risks of strangulation, impact injuries, burns, impalement, punctures, and lacerations. Unfortunately, many consumers never receive notice of toy recalls and may not know that a dangerous toy sits like a time bomb in their child's toy box.
So let's look at the list, shall we? All the toys listed do posess dangerous qualities. They could possibly choke, injure or *gasp* KILL a child! What should we do? Should we ban all toys that might be dangerous?
A doll marketed to 2 and up has a "shampoo bottle" with a removable cap. To make the toy safer, Fisher Price added a 2 inch long tube to hinder the possiblity of choking....NOT GOOD ENOUGH! "The cap could be mouthed by oral age children, potentially leading to a choking tragedy."
Yet another doll has a bottle that "possess an unacceptable risk of choking for oral age children." Even though it is marketed for ages 2 and up.
"A paintball fires paint balls at a high velocity." *gee, duh* "The packaging alerts users that failure to follow the numerous safety instructions "could result in injury". Incredibly, while these instructions advise that goggles always be used, the bottle of replacement ammunition additionally warns that "proper protective equipment designed specifically for paintball use for eyes, ears, throat, and head must be worn at all times". ...Well, if you didn't realize that paintball could hurt someone if you shot them in the face, them *maybe* you shouldn't be playing paintball?
I'm not saying we should give children plastic bags and razor blades to play with, but at what point do parents bear responsibility for the toys they buy thier children? Reading and adhering to the posted warnings? Possibly removing small pieces that poss an unacceptable choking hazard? *Gasp* Actually SUPERVISING children playing with a toy until they can be trusted to play safely? Frankly I'm surprized that bicycles are not listed...after all they pose a risk for LOTS of injuries and even death if the kid is riding them in the street!
My point? As we approach this holiday gift giving time, maybe people could actually make responsible judgement calls for thier family without an outside agency playing mom and dad for us. I do think toys should be marketed to appropriate age groups, but seeing as I am the parent, I can and should be the one to make the final call."