ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702180003
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: RACHEL BECK ASSOCIATED PRESS
Delores Shaw never imagined that Mattel Inc.'s Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kid could chomp off 5 inches of her daughter's long hair.
She just assumed the world's biggest toymaker produced safe toys.
``I trusted Mattel's reputation and never thought they'd put out something that could be dangerous,'' Shaw said. ``I sure was surprised when it ate her hair.''
Toy safety isn't guaranteed. It's not that toymakers knowingly manufacture dangerous toys - in fact, most including Mattel do test their toys to be sure they won't injure children. But loose federal guidelines and a lack of government oversight mean some harmful toys do reach store shelves and find their way into children's hands.
``No one is checking these toys before they go on the market,'' said Stephanie Oppenheim, who publishes an annual toy guide, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. ``The toy industry is a self-regulating business, and people just don't realize that.''
Toymakers test whether their products can stand up to children's play, and they examine everything from flammability to sharp edges. There are also some industry-wide regulations, especially for toys designed for young children, that deal with small parts and lead paint content.
Toymakers including Mattel, Tyco Toys Inc. and Hasbro Inc., declined to discuss their testing procedures with The Associated Press.
The government doesn't get involved until after toys reach the marketplace and problems arise.
In 1972, Congress passed a law that created the Consumer Product Safety Commission to police industries including the toy business. The CPSC establishes safety standards, does product testing and can ban goods it considers immediate dangers to the public.
Under the CPSC's jurisdiction are 15,000 consumer products ranging from toys and cribs to coffee makers and lawn mowers.
Consumer groups have pressed Congress to broaden the duties of the CPSC, allocate more federal funds for staffing and allow the commission to do pre-marketing testing of toys. But in an era when less government is thought to be better government, such calls have not been answered.
``Everyone is always yelling there are too many regulations,'' said Janice Shields, consumer research director at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a Washington-based consumer advocacy organization. ``But when there is an injury or death, everyone wants to know where the regulators are.''
There were 21 reports of toy-related deaths in 1995, and 17 of the victims were under 5 years old. Choking was reported in 12 of the deaths, according to the CPSC.
``We are putting toys out there that are time bombs, and they can explode,'' said Ed Swartz, a Boston attorney and author of ``Toys That Kill.''
Around Christmas time came the first reports of Cabbage Patch dolls munching on children's hair and fingers instead of their intended plastic snacks. There were about 100 such reports, and while there were no serious injuries, the public questioned the toy's safety and how it passed through Mattel's testing regimen.
While Mattel refused to comment to the AP on its testing because it has been sued over the dolls, The Washington Post reported that only three dozen children were used to test the toys before they went to market and the product was never tested for hair entanglement.
The government did no testing until after the first incidents were reported and didn't find any serious safety hazards with the doll.
Despite the CPSC's findings, Mattel pulled the doll from store shelves and decided to allow parents to return it for a $40 refund.
``This incident points out one of the shortcomings in toy testing,'' said Chris Byrne, editor of Market Focus: Toys, a New York-based trade publication. ``Manufacturers try to foresee abuse of the toy more than [what can happen during] actual play.''
``But then you never know what kids are going to do,'' he said.
That's the way Shaw felt when the Cabbage Patch doll ate her daughter's hair.
``It frustrates me because it's a child's nature to put things in a doll's mouth,'' the Speedway, Ind., resident said. ``It's a matter of knowing a children's nature and manufacturers should understand that.''
And Shaw joins millions of other parents who also put their trust in toy companies and just assume toys are safe.
``I look at price, and equate price with quality of the product,'' said Susan Taylor, a Stamford, Conn., mother of two kids ages 6 and 9. ``But do I really look closely at whether they're safe? No.''
But consumer advocates warn that real safety only comes after parents take toys out of boxes for examination, read warning labels and avoid toys that come apart easily.
``For some parents, buying a toy is a more emotional decision rather than an intellectual decision,'' said Sandy Jones, author of the ``Guide to Baby Products'' from Consumer Reports Books.
``Parents need to do their homework,'' she said. ``A toy that might be excellent for a 3- or 4-year-old, can be very hazardous to a 1- or 2-year-old even if you think your kid is smart.''
Jones encourages parents to return toys they feel are unsafe by bringing them back to the stores where they were purchased or by sending them directly to the manufacturers.
And parents who feel a toy is potentially harmful to a child or in any way defective should immediately report it to the CPSC for review.
``Today's parents are getting more aggressive, and they need to be in order to have safe toys for their kids,'' Jones said.
SAFETY GUIDELINES
BEFORE YOU BUY TOYS:
* Run your figures around the edges to check for sharp edges, hidden thorns or parts that can pinch.
* Read age warning labels and know what age your child is at developmentally.
* Examine toys for small parts or pieces that can easily be pulled off, like buttons and eyes.
* Avoid toys that can be chewed or break apart easily.
* Make sure the parts are large enough that they can't be swallowed or stuck in a child's throat.
AFTER YOU BUY:
* Take toys out of packaging to check safety before giving to child.
* Supervise while child plays with toys to watch that they are used in the manner for which they were designed.
* Throw away broken toys.
* Establish an area in home for playtime to prevent children from running around with toys in hand.
Sources: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Consumer Reports Books ``Guide to Baby Products''
LENGTH: Long : 132 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. As her father, Jesse Shaw, and grandmother, Bettyby CNBPugh, watch, Kaitlyn Shaw, 6, demonstrates how her new Cabbage Patch
Snacktime Kid doll eats a plastic carrot. The doll began eating
Kaitlyn's hair after some strands got caught in the doll's mouth.
After about 100 such incidents nationwide, the doll maker, Mattel,
pulled the doll from stores. color.