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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest Releases
The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
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| NOVEMBER 14, 1998 4:01 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: National Environmental Trust Jeff Wise 202-887-8827 or 202-667-4189 |
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| Environmental Trust Calls for Broader Action After Toys R Us Removes Toxic Teethers from Shelves | ||||
| WASHINGTON - November 14 - One day after a national environmental
group released tests showing high levels of an organ damaging chemical in soft plastic
children's toys, Toys 'R' Us, the nation's largest retailer of children's products,
announced it would immediately remove teethers and pacifiers with the chemicals from its
shelves in stores around the world. Toys 'R' Us announced late Friday it would remove "all direct-to-mouth products for infant use" containing a chemical called "phthalates" from shelves worldwide no later than Wednesday, Nov. 18. The company's announcement came one day after the National Environmental Trust, a nonprofit environmental organization, released testing data showing that 33 common soft plastic children's toys -- seven of which were purchased at Toys 'R' Us -- contained high levels of a chemical that has been banned or regulated in seven European countries. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests these chemicals cause liver and kidney lesions and other damage in laboratory animals and seep out of soft plastic vinyl when chewed and mouthed by a child. The National Environmental Trust welcomed the step, noting in a letter from its president, Philip Clapp, to Toys 'R' Us Chief Executive Officer Robert Nakasone that "a decision of this type so close to the Christmas season comes at some cost." While stating that "Toys 'R' Us deserves great credit for putting the health and safety of its customers first," Clapp stated that the toy seller's action was too limited. "We strongly believe that limiting the scope of your action to just one class of toys -- infant toys intended for the mouth -- protects some children but leaves millions of others still exposed to potentially dangerous chemicals,"said Clapp. "Your company certainly knows what every parent knows, that infants and toddlers put everything in their mouths, often for extended periods of time -- and they certainly don't discriminate between 'direct-to-mouth' toys and other toys," according to Clapp. The National Environmental Trust revealed that of the seven Toys 'R' Us toys they tested, only one -- a Sesame Street teether ring containing 30 percent phthalates by weight -- would be covered by the toy company's action. Each of the other toys with the chemical, including a Teletubbies doll from Playskool made of 17 percent phthalates and a Little Pony doll from Hasbro made of 22 percent phthalates, would remain on Toys 'R' Us shelves. In his statement, Clapp claimed, "While it's a first step, taking only teethers and pacifiers with phthalates off the shelves could give millions of parents in the U.S. and around the world a false sense of security by implying that the only toys they should be concerned about are toys intended for the mouth." According to Dr. Harvey Karp, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at UCLA School of Medicine, "I see dozens of kids in my practice come in every day with all kinds of soft plastic toys in hand that are bitten and chewed." Said Karp, "Some of the children in my pediatric practice eat more plastic than broccoli everyday, and the phthalates in that plastic definitely gets into their system." ------ For more information about the Trust's testing, visit www.envirotrust.com/toys.html. -0- |
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