16th Annual Wacky Warning Labels™ Contest: 2013 Finalists Selected

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The internationally recognized Wacky Warning Labels™ Contest, a project of The Center for America, now in its 16^th year, has selected the 2013 FINALISTS! The top five finalists are:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130610/DC29050LOGO)

"Wash hands after using."
A label on a common indoor extension cord 
(submitted by Jeff Dudka of Commerce Township, Michigan)

"Not for contact lenses or direct use in eyes."
A warning on a small bottle of spray-on anti-fog cleaner
(submitted by Melanie Champagne of Raeford, North Carolina)

"Not for human consumption."
A warning on a package of rubber worms made for fishing 
(submitted by Lars Eckberg of Knoxville, Tennessee)

"Company will not be held responsible for any illness or injury that is incurred while using the pedometer."
A label on a commonly used pedometer 
(submitted by Justin Smith of Albuquerque, New Mexico)

"Combustion of this manufactured product results in the emissions of carbon monoxide, soot and other combustion by-products which are known by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm."
A warning on a box of matches 
(submitted by Ira Stoll of Brooklyn, New York)

Contest creator Bob Dorigo Jones, bestselling author of Remove Child Before Folding: The 101 Stupidest, Silliest and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever, has reached hundreds of millions of Americans in the past decade with the important message of the Contest – "Absurd and silly labels surround us in everyday places – because America has a lawsuit-happy culture that must be changed!"

Bob's been talking about the Contest on his national weekly radio commentary, "Let's Be Fair!"  and in his "Let's Be Fair!" blog (www.bobdorigojones.com).

Hilarious and thought-provoking past winners include:

• "Remove child before folding" – on a baby stroller!
• "Does not supply oxygen" – a label on a common dust mask (2011 Contest Winner)
• "Never operate your speakerphone while driving" – on a hands-free cell phone product called the "Drive 'N' Talk"! (2010 Contest Winner)
• "Not for use on moving vehicles" – the warning on the "Off-Road Commode," a portable toilet seat that attaches to a trailer hitch!
• "Danger: Avoid Death" – a warning on a small tractor!
• "Harmful if swallowed – a warning on a brass fishing lure with a three-pronged hook
• "This product moves when used" – a warning on a popular children's scooter!

"Three of this year's finalists are warnings placed on common products as a direct result of more stringent requirements in California about posting warnings when certain chemicals are present, which sounds fairly reasonable until you dig into the issue," says Bob Dorigo Jones.  "Focused on Prop 65 in California, the current law lists 774 chemicals for which product makers, sellers and employers must place specific warning signage – and that list includes aspirin, shower curtains, coffee, alcoholic beverages, fishing lures, luggage, cars, and countless other products used safely by consumers every day."

"It's been well-reported that Prop 65 has given rise to an avalanche of so-called 'drive-by lawsuits' enabling attorneys to file hundreds of cases that provide little if any public safety benefit, but drive up costs and threaten jobs," says Dorigo Jones.

"This is not a California-only problem, as we live and work in a national stream of commerce which affects everyone in America.  The products that are sold in California are manufactured in all 50 states, so this means that the shake-down Prop 65 lawsuits that are filed each year threaten jobs all across America, " Dorigo Jones added.

Last year, contest results reached more than 190 million Americans via international media coverage.  Wacky Warning Labels™ is a project of The Center for America, a dynamic non-profit organization educating, motivating and empowering the American people to reduce barriers to free enterprise.  See more about CFA and Wacky Warning Labels™ at www.centerforamerica.org.

SOURCE The Center for America