Toy Industry Offers Facts About Toy Safety For Holiday Shopping; Corrects Misinformation About Allegedly Harmful Toys

NEW YORK, Nov. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With parents and caregivers flocking to stores on Black Friday to begin the annual process of buying holiday gifts for the children in their lives, the Toy Industry Association (TIA) wants to ensure that families have accurate information about toy safety – especially in light of the misleading information being circulated by NGOs regarding allegedly "harmful" toys.

All toys sold in the United States – no matter where they are produced – are highly regulated by the U.S. federal government and must meet more than 100 safety standard requirements.  Under federal legislation passed in 2008, all toys sold at retail must be tested for compliance by a third-party testing lab accredited by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency charged with regulating toy safety. The "toy safety" reports put forth by non-regulatory groups, particularly around the holidays, spread erroneous and flawed information that serves only to confuse parents and caregivers.  

As part of its ongoing efforts to provide families with accurate information about safe play, TIA recently conducted an in-depth review of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group's (U.S. PIRG) "Trouble in Toyland" reports issued from 2008 through 2013.  The analysis found that U.S. PIRG's reports were based on improper testing methods that are not approved by the CPSC, and fail to support PIRG's allegations that the identified toys (defined as objects designed, manufactured or marketed as playthings for children under 14 years of age) present any danger to children at play.

"Toy safety is the top priority of the toy industry, and we welcome responsible individuals and organizations in joining our year-round efforts to protect children at play," said TIA President and CEO, Carter Keithley. "Independent monitoring and analysis by outside parties can help improve toy safety standards if these activities are carried out in a responsible manner, but groups like PIRG – who consistently disseminate incorrect and misleading information about the safety of toys – are not serving the interests and well-being of children and their families. Toys that do not present any safety hazard to children, and that provide fun and developmental value, are wrongly maligned by these spurious reports, making parents unnecessarily fearful and depriving children of the joy these toys can offer."

TIA was a vigorous supporter of the federal consumer product safety legislation adopted in 2008 and works year-round with medical experts, consumer groups and government regulators to ensure the safety of children and maintain U.S. toy safety standards, which are among the strictest in the world.  The Association educates toymakers on how to meet these standards and provides consumers with facts about toy safety, product recalls, and safe play.  

For information on toy safety, recalls, and smart tips for parents and caregivers, please visit TIA's year-round resource for fun and safe play: www.ToyInfo.org.

About the Toy Industry Association (TIA)    www.toyassociation.org
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety; the Association helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and is committed to working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.

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SOURCE Toy Industry Association