Nessel issues toy safety alert

As parents across Michigan are purchasing toys for their children this holiday season, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has issued a consumer alert on toy safety to make Michiganders aware of toy safety protocols and to warn of the potential for dangerous toys.  

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the federal agency responsible for protecting the general public against risk of injury and death associated with toys and other products. CPSC inspectors are to review and intercept dangerous toys before they reach the market, but reportedly during the months of April to September 2020, CPSC pulled inspectors from ports around the country due to COVID-19, causing a major drop in inspections.

“Parents must exercise caution when purchasing toys for children this year as some of the traditional safety protocols that we’ve become accustomed to may have been compromised due to COVID-19,” Nessel said. “My office is committed to protecting consumers from a variety of concerns, and I urge anyone who’s shopping for toys to do their research and review the guides and tips on how to safely make purchases.

There is a lot of information to help consumers this holiday season, including my office’s 2020 Dangerous Toy Guide.”

Michigan consumers rely on the CPSC to protect their children by inspecting toys before they reach store shelves. Many children’s products may not appear dangerous, but if the product is swallowed or ingested, it could result in serious injury or death. As lead paint on a toy is not visible and parents are not equipped to run fire resistance testing on youth pajamas, there is no way to differentiate good products from bad items at this time.

Should consumers notice any problems with a recently purchased toy or children’s product, they should report it immediately to the CPSC website where such complaints are publicly posted at www.saferproducts.gov. 

Michigan consumers can also file a complaint online with the Attorney General’s Office at www.michigan.gov/ag.