Health vs. Brighter Colors

Where is that final straw that breaks the camel’s back? The one incident so horrific that finally there’s a change in method and in policy? I’m talking about the situation in China and elsewhere that causes all those toys-to-toothpaste recalls. We’ve given them thirty second-chances, and still…

The latest toys recall was another Mattel recall of Fisher-Price kitchen toys. Not lead paint this time, but poorly-designed toys made in Mexico such that the parts come off for children to swallow. In response to this recall, Scott Wolfson of the Consumer Products Safety Commission said:

Small-parts choking hazards with toys is one of the most serious dangers to children in the United States. This should send a message to parents to take this toy away from the child immediately.

and still…

Australian officials ordered a popular Chinese-made children’s toy pulled from the shelves after scientists found it contained a chemical that converts into a powerful “date rape” drug when ingested.

You would think this second recent recall in Australia of Chinese-made toys would be the horrific incident that would cause something to be done. Not so. Not yet. I could list others. Blog4Brains was one of the early whistle blowers. See Unum’s two articles and their Chinese-related comments:

On June 7th 2007 and on May 10th, 2007: Health Alert: Toxic Cheap Toothpaste & Health Alert: Toxic Lead in Baby Products!

Perhaps each state needs to be the gatekeeper to prevent ill-causing toys from entering the homes in their state. This may be the only answer in the present situation. California, a state that has taken the lead when the federal government has failed its people, started the ball rolling by actually doing something.

AB1108 signed by our governor into Calif state law will take effect on January 1, 2009. Bill AB1108 prohibits the use of phthalates, a softener for various plastic products. Among them, for children’s plastic toys and baby teething rings.

But what’s happening on the national scene?

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards is calling for the resignation of Nancy Nord, the acting head of the nation’s Consumer Product Safety Commission, saying the Bush administration has failed to protect the public from dangerous products.

The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, under fire for a host of recalls of Chinese-made toys, said Wednesday she won’t heed Democratic lawmakers’ calls for her resignation.

‘At this point I have no intention of resigning,’ said acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord . ‘I’m doing my job, and part of my job is to talk with Congress about the tools and resources we need.’

Nancy North who is in a position to know has made it clear. The CPSC doesn’t have the money or manpower or resources to inspect foreign product imports. And the same goes for President Bush’s plan that includes giving import safeguards like sealed caps to products, and his plan to give the FDA the authority and power to order mandatory recalls of unsafe food products. I side with Nancy North in that without operating funds, who in her place could possibility do anything? “I want to be hiring more safety inspectors and scientists and compliance officers, I don’t want to be hiring lawyers,” Nord has said.

What came from our President sounds great, but it’s only proposals, plans, suggestions. By itself, it is all hogwash because it takes money and manpower to run these checkpoints of imported stuff into the U.S. Why, the FDA does not even have the manpower to check out the lettuce leaving California. Unless congress provides the huge sums of money to insure and maintain this kind of safety of stuff crossing our borders, and Bush doesn’t veto the money part, it’s all useless talk. And it sounds only good in that it comes some seven weeks before Christmas in the hopes that this PR will make people think things are okay, toys are safe to buy.

Toys for Xmas. And just in time comes this advice from Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt: “Buy from people you trust.” Duh.

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