Consumer Protection Board: Unsafe toys still in stores

ALBANY — Stores in New York are still stocking toys with unsafe levels of lead, according to the state Consumer Protection Board. After a spate of national toy recalls in August, Gov. Eliot Spitzer ordered a statewide investigation that found some toys with unsafe lead levels were still available and retailers need to improve their responses to recalls. Inspectors visited 2,800 stores and found about 620 recalled toys still on shelves, Spitzer said on Dec. 10. Also on Dec. 10, state Sen. Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., a Long Island Republican, proposed the Toy Recall Protection and Enforcement Act. The bill would prohibit the sale of recalled toys and other goods by stores, thrift shops and second-hand retailers. Stores could face penalties of up to $10,000. The Spitzer administration’s effort also identified three more toys — made in China and sold in dollar stores — that had excessive lead in their paint: the “Army Force” car set imported by Encore Sales of Ontario, Canada; green and orange “Sprite Tractor Trailer” toys; and “Wrestle Mania” action figures distributed by AA of America. Spitzer called on the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a national recall of those toys. He also asked the Consumer Protection Board to draft legislation that would punish businesses that sell recalled products and tighten recall standards for manufacturers, distributors and retailers. About 5,000 children a year are diagnosed with lead poisoning in New York — mostly from lead paint in older housing, according to the governor’s office. Lead exposure in children and unborn children can cause brain and nervous system damage, behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and headaches. On the Net: Information about recalls and the safe toys program in New York: www.nysconsumer.gov Recalls are also posted at: www.health.state.ny.us.