A toy rocket that comes with a warning that says children playing with it could suffer the “loss of an eye or death” is among this year’s 10 most dangerous toys, a consumer group said on Wednesday.
At an annual event to highlight the most dangerous toys ahead of the festive gift-giving season, James Swartz, director of World Against Toys Causing Harm was flustered while demonstrating the high-powered air rocket.
After inflating it with a bicycle pump, the rocket took off with a loud pop and broke through a ceiling tile above him, prompting gasps from audience members.
“Well, there you go,” said Swartz, who had been explaining the rocket’s risks. “To call this a toy is a travesty. That should not be on the shelves and I think you can see why.”
WATCH said the rocket, made by William Mark Corp. of Claremont, Calif., comes packaged with numerous safety warnings, including: “Misuse of this product can cause SEVERE INJURY, including loss of an eye or death.”
Some 65 percent of the toys bought in the United States are purchased in the weeks leading up to Christmas, making it a crucial period for the $20.7 billion toy industry. In what has become a holiday ritual, WATCH has published its annual list of the “10 Worst Toys” since 1973 — but not without controversy.
Group draws criticism
The Toy Industry Association, whose members account for 85 percent of the industry’s sales, calls WATCH fear-mongerers.
“This kind of organization does scare parents and cause anxiety because it sends a message that all toys are not safe and that’s just not true,” said Julie Livingston, a spokeswoman for the association.
Livingston said her group’s members take toy safety very seriously and she noted that toys are consistently rated by the U.S. government as one of the 15 safest products commonly found in homes. But she also said safety is in the hands of parents.
“Parental supervision is the most important thing,” Livingston said. “Any toy can become dangerous in the hands of a child if it is misused.”
Swartz disagreed, saying parents cannot always keep an eye on their children. He called for new laws to prevent dangerous children’s products from coming to market.
“The realistic truth is that these toys are going ... to be used at times when parents aren’t paying full attention,” said Swartz, a trial lawyer.
WATCH noted that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported at least 13 toy-related deaths in 2002 and nearly 200,000 toy-related injuries in 2003.
Other toys on this year’s WATCH list was the “Pocket Rocket” miniature motorcycle, which warns that its use may result in injury or death and two small toys that the group said could cause choking in small children.
Parents can find WATCH’s full list of dangerous toys at www.toysafety.org. The toy industry also offers an online toy safety news at www.toyhotline.org. Official safety recalls of toys are listed at http://www.recalls.gov/.
