IT IS ALL CRAP

[MyTheta]

http://archive.greenpeace.org/pressreleases/pvctoys/1999dec8.html
Glance at that article and look at the date 1999!!!!!!!

What kind of a government regulates harmful products 10 or more years after the fact of knowing about it???
Will my kids grow up with kidney disease or cancer because toys are made with toxic chemicals???
I don't want etsy sellers or other crafters to be penalized, but I do want my kids safe - why wasn't this crap dealt with properly years ago when the problem was known - why now? Now it is just totally out-of-control - its like things had to get completely out-of-control before something was put into act, and then hastily done...

Basically all mass-produced toys are crap because they are harmful - OK maybe 95% of mass produced toys, I'll give it that.

[StoryBlox]

I've yet to see a single reliable study that shows phthalates cause any damage whatsoever to humans. There are studies that show damage to reproductive systems in rats, but all studies in primates I've seen have shown no adverse affects (the reproductive systems in primates/humans is much different from that of rats).

Greenpeace was happy because plastic in general is hard on the environment, but the reason the US didn't decide the same as the EU 10 years ago was because there was no reliable evidence that these chemicals are actually harmful.

That said, I'm not a fan of additives of any sort, and I've always felt wood toys were better better all around than plastic.

I'm much more worried about the study that found mercury in 8 out of 20 name brand foods made with high fructose corn syrup.

[LaurieRyan]

WE had the laws to prevent this back then they just didn't enforce them

[SkyviewClay]

and, probably won't now either...at least not where it really matters.

[Former_Member]

well said storyBlox,
Indeed, there are far more dangerous things hanging around in our environment than children's toys, clothing, books,etc

[MyTheta]

It has been ten years of knowing:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-schapiro/the-case-against-phthalat_b_93092.html
Coincidently go to paragraph 10!

[MyTheta]

When your children play with dangerous things - then at that moment those are the most dangerous things to them - if they are filled with toxins! When they are crossing the road - cars become the most dangerous things at that moment- if your feed your children foods with high fructose corn syrup then - yes that becomes to most dangerous - obviously preservatives in food are dangerous - but you can't ignore the chemicals and toxins in the toys and this situation with the phthalates.

[Former_Member]

It's easy to avoid high fructose corn syrup, not so easy to avoid toys.

[MyTheta]

I agree bipsy - you don't get an ingredient list when you purchase toys

[Former_Member]

The world & everything in it isn't perfect yet that's what the goal seems to be... a world with everything gov't controlled,a sterilized world

[Former_Member]

Can you link a site that is a little bit less partisan then the huffpo? I'm interested in this topic, but I don't like to get my facts from sites that are so far to the left or right.

[Former_Member]

Good point, Starbright. As a graduate with a Master's, I was always taught the importance of the source of your information and research.

[StoryBlox]

It's interesting that that second article you posted makes references to studies but does not provide any links or references to show which studies those were, or how to find them, while linking to anything that backs up the authors position.

It would be interesting to see those studies, if they are valid, then it seems to me the larger worry is about infants being exposed to phthalates not in their toys, but in their mother's breast milk... in which case we should be more worried about what phthalates pregnant and nursing mothers are being exposed to.

I'd have to see the studies though, and would love to see them.

As far as keeping our kids away from HFCS - it might be easy to keep your chilren away from it at home (although with it's proliferation I'd claim it's not that easy), but as soon as they go to school or a friend's house they're going to be exposed to things with HFCS in them. And you can bet they're more likely to have problems with something they ingest than with something they're only playing with.

[Former_Member]

marking

[MyTheta]

Storyblox? I think people are making too many inferences - do you think there is some other motive here than what was posted? Like I was suggesting in the OP, I just can't believe that there has been a concern for ten years and now it is an"issue"
Are you suggesting that we allow our children to suck on plastics made with these chemicals since you can't find a correlation = harm to humans
sorry if I misunderstand you...
The sources are merely an internet search - not a formal research paper.
I don't believe etsy has a pre-requisite for posting either. And you can take with it what you want - and do your own searches yourself. But I stand firmly on what I said in the OP and the fact that these toxins do not belong in toys. thank you!

[Former_Member]

If you are truly interested in the research, I suggest goggling the actual phatalates that have been deemed hazardous. You will find scientific articles that way. Also, the CDC has a pdf that lists references for further investigation.

As for this : it might be easy to keep your chilren away from it at home (although with it's proliferation I'd claim it's not that easy)

If one shops at say Walmart then yes, it would not seem easy to avoid. If one shops at say Whole Foods then it would not be a problem at all. And if the masses would stop buying all the crap with it in it all those brand names you speak of would be forced to make their products without it.

[Former_Member]

This has been an issue since my daughter was born over 11 years ago. Even then they were saying that any soft, flexible plastic item probably contains phthalates. It seems that you're being pretty harsh, MyTheta, just because someone doesn't agree that the data supports the ban. I believe that she also said that she thinks that natural toys are best, so the comment about letting our children suck on toxic plastics was a bit much. Nobody said that you can't believe that the phthalates don't belong in toys. Likewise, this is a discussion forum and people are able to post their thoughts and opinions too.

[Former_Member]

there are lots of dangerous things in this world. while i want regulations in place to keep things safe, i also realize that we can't get it right with all things all of the time.

things that were okay for children in 1967 when my first child was born were considered dangerous when my last child was born in 1985. we didn't have car seats in 1967, and very few cars had seat belts. i am sure that some of the toys that my first son played with had some level of harmful chemicals and toxin.

all of my children grew up with little illness, most with perfect attendance through high school. all are grown and healthy now and they are smart, intelligent productive citizens.

i think a healthy dose of common sense goes a long way. we all want to protect out children but in reality we cannot keep them from coming in contact with all the bad stuff out there. we just have to do the best we can.

[MyTheta]

well I did not intend to be harsh - but I am angry about this issue - very angry. I have 3 children and want to keep them safe - to think that these chemicals are allowed or were allowed in the toy market really is terrible. And to find out that it has been known for a decade is troubling.
And big companies really didn't seem to care(in my opinion) - My daughter played with these flexible disney characters that emit an odor when you open the package - when I called the manufacturer about it over the summer, they said the base in the toy is petroleum (that makes it flexible) then they told me to leave the package opened for 28-48 hours, "but not in direct sunlight", then let her play with it - crazy right? So there you go... who really cares? Not the big wigs selling the toxins!
so sorry to come off bitchy - like I did... really I am.

[Former_Member]

You have to get over the notion that the govt is out there to do us favors. Just about everything they do has a price tag on it. They sit on their fat you-know-what's in our local councils, in state houses, and in DC and are there to COLLECT AND SPEND MONEY. Plain and simple.

[Former_Member]

I just don't see what the big issue is, I guess. Like I said, I had heard about this eleven years ago. I was a 19 year old overwhelmed mom who almost never left my apartment and I heard all about the possibility that these toys were unsafe. Sure, the government didn't ban them outright until now, but they didn't hide the information either.

[happywhosits]

I don't think manufacturers should be allowed to create and sell toys (or other products) that contain lead or chemicals known to be harmful to children. At the same time, I don't think I should have to test my yarn and polyester fiberfil to prove that it's not. The com[anies who make the supplies I use should provide me with that information.

That's what many of us have against the CPSIA - not the intent of the law, the way it is written.

Eileen...

[Former_Member]

A great example of the "politics of fear" in action.

[Former_Member]

I have to agree with momomadeit. My birth certificate says I was born in '67 (frankly, I think there's a cover-up somewhere there because I CANNOT be over 40!). I played with all the stuff (sharp edges, plastics, rusty metal). I grew up in a 250-yr-old house. HAD to be lead paint somewhere there. Parents chain-smoked around us, too.

I'm not making the case that "if it was good enough for me, it's good enough for my kids." Frankly, I think it's a crap argument to make; we all want more/better for our children. But we have to use a bit of common sense. If you don't want the plastic crap... don't buy it. Or use your common sense. My own kids have plastic toys, too. Heck, we still have lead painted Thomas trains in the basement. Am I getting rid of them? No. Because I inspect them for the type of wear and I know if my kids mouth their toys too much. I am far from perfect. My point is that we have to use the common sense a bit. Don't expect that if the government passes a law, you're protected. You have to know what's out there and assess the risks as they apply to your family.

YOU/WE are in charge of our children (despite what the govt. seems to think) and ultimately the responsibility is on our shoulders. Think about it -- if something happens, the question isn't "where was the government?" but "where was the mother?" It's the way it should be.

Sorry -- philosophical rant.

[Former_Member]

I played with mercury as a child, maybe that is why my IQ is only 145 :( And so did my husband and his is only 151 :(