Children at the Escuelita Del Alma Childcare Center sat on the floor Tuesday playing with Lincoln Logs, toys approved by both the center's director and a research group because they passed choke tests.
The Texas Public Interest Research Group tested the toys by putting them through a toilet paper roll representative of a child's esophagus.
Congressman Lloyd Doggett and research group members were at the center Tuesday to discuss dangerous toys and the SAFE Consumer Product Act being debated, which would provide more resources and new regulations for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to oversee toy safety. The bill is sponsored by more than 150 representatives and was introduced Sept. 27.
"Our main thing is that we'd really like to see HR 3691 pass, so we can help the CSPC," said Brad Hicks, the group's citizen outreach director. "Congress should give the CPSC more staff and more authority to hold companies that break the law accountable. It should make companies do a better job of ensuring the product that they put on the toy store shelf is safe, whether it's made in China or in Kansas."
Childcare center director Dina Flores, who has worked in childcare since 1979 and started the center almost eight years ago, said she has thrown away some toys to ensure her students' safety.
"Building blocks that are attached to each other with little magnets - we got those out a long time ago," Flores said. "And a lot of the puppets or stuffed animals that have the little button eyes, those also, we've eliminated them from our classroom."
The research group releases a report of its research annually, and this year's report is titled "Trouble In Toyland." This is the 22nd annual report, and it includes information about toys to avoid, recommendations about how to identify hazards, stories about recalls and toy-related deaths and injuries.
One hazard the group focuses on is lead content. Hicks said lead has been banned in paint since 1977 because the element is a powerful neurotoxin that can lower a person's IQ.
"Congress should ban all lead in children's toys," Hicks said. "Lead has no business in any children's products, not at all."
Doggett, who has two granddaughters, a 2-year-old and a newborn, addressed the easily unnoticed danger of balloons.
"My daughter wanted to have some balloons at our granddaughter's birthday party," Doggett said. "This really turns out to be one of the most dangerous toys around. It requires parental oversight because these things pop and could easily be sucked down the throat of a young child. That's why we always talk about balloons in these press conferences."
Hicks said the U.S. "has one toy inspector for the entire country."
However, safety commission spokesperson Arlene Flecha said she disagreed with Hick's assessment.
"It is a very widespread misconception that there is only one person in charge of toy safety," she said. "We actually have a team of about 80 individuals, which consists of scientists, engineers, psychologists and inspectors who are doing the testing. I have no idea how that got started."
Hicks also said the safety commission's staff has half as many employees as it did in the 1970s. Flecha confirmed this and said she did not know why there had been so many cutbacks.
"Our main goal is to keep unsafe products out of consumers' hands," Flecha said. "We are all very committed."
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