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NEWS > 2002
In addition to providing information pertaining to our organization, KID provides brief updates on current children's product safety information and events.
Contents of this Issue:
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2002 December 12
Don't let Grandpa drag that old crib down from the attic during your visit this
holiday season, warned Kids In Danger in a Holiday Travel Advisory released on
December 11, 2002. "Parents have to be vigilant not only about the safety of
the products their child uses at home and in childcare, but while traveling or
visiting friends and family as well," stated Nancy Cowles, executive director
of KID. "Older model cribs, damaged car seats, or recalled products of any
type pose a risk to children on the road as well as at home. Parents and other
caregivers should be cautious to avoid injury over the holiday travel season.
Contrary to what most parents believe, most children's products are not required to
be tested for safety prior to sale, so a brand name or trusted product is no
guarantee of safety." See the complete
release
for more tips on keeping children safe from dangerous products while traveling.
For a sample list of recalled juvenile products that may be used during holiday
visits or travels,
please click here.
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2002 November 25
Earlier this fall, KID launched Test It Now! A Grassroots Awareness Campaign
for Children's Product Safety. Test It Now's goal is to create a groundswell
of support for safer children's products, leading to needed changes.
The objectives are:
- To bring the minefield of dangerous children's products to the
public's attention;
- To encourage policymakers to take note of the lopsided children's
product system and correct it;
- And to challenge the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to get
more actively involved in stopping dangerous products from reaching
the marketplace.
KID executive director Nancy Cowles will be in Seattle on December 2 and 3 to speak
with the Washington State SAFE KIDS
Coalition about KID, product safety, and pre-market testing of children's
products. Our thanks to Katharine Fitzgerald at
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical
Center and the Washington State Department of
Health for their help in coordinating this visit.
Please contact Nancy if you would like her
to meet with you or your organization when she is in town. To sign on as a supporter of
Test It Now!, please fill out and return by fax or mail our
Sign On Sheet.
We will be planning similar outreach efforts in Washington D.C. and Boston soon.
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2002 August 14
KID released a new report today highlighting the fire, burn and electric shock dangers
to children from recalled juvenile products. "Forty-two children's product recalls,
covering over 16 million individual items were issued over the past decade because of
the risk of fire and burn injuries," stated Nancy Cowles, KID executive director.
"Given recall effectiveness, this means that over 10 million products may still be
in use that can potentially start a fire or severely burn children."
A Burning Threat: Fire and Burn Hazards of Children's Product Recalls 1992 to
2002 showed that almost half of children's products recalled for fire, burn or
electric shock hazards were toys. Thirty-six percent of recalled products violated
the federal Flammable Fabrics Act.
Visit our publications page
for a copy of the report and a related fact sheet.
Click here to read
the fire report press release.
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2002 July 9
Missouri's SB 923,
containing a prohibition on using recalled or dangerous children's products in licensed
childcare facilities was signed by Governor Holden, on July 2, 2002. Compliance will be
required starting July 2003. Send an email to thank Senator Dougherty through
this web page or
Governor Bob Holden.
Rhode Island's Children's Product Safety Act became effective on June 28, 2002
and compliance is required by January 2004. Senator Catherine Graziano was the sponsor of the
legislation. Please send an email to thank
Senator Catherine Graziano for sponsoring this legislation.
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2002 April 17
The CPSC is urging Americans to join its "recall round-up" of 12 hazardous
products, including the Playskool Travel-Lite portable crib that killed
Danny Keysar, the son of KID founders Linda Ginzel and Boaz
Keysar, still found in millions of homes. Most of these have been involved
in children's deaths. The goal of this recall round-up is to convince
consumers to throw away, repair or replace these product hazards.
Despite recall notices and public warnings, many products with the potential
to seriously injure or kill are still being used by consumers.
"Kids In Danger urges parents and caregivers to heed the warning in
CPSC's Recall Round-up and search their homes and facilities for recalled,
deadly children's products, " said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids
In Danger (KID) in a statement released today.
For full descriptions of the hazardous products, please visit the CPSC press
release.. For the KID Press Release Click Here
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2002 March 13
Earlier this month, President Bush sent his nomination for CPSC Chairman to the
Senate for consideration. Bush has nominated Harold D. Stratton for the
position, after his first choice for the office, current Commissioner Mary
Sheila Gall, was defeated when consumers raised concerns about her willingness
to take strong and swift action to protect consumers.
Stratton is a
lawyer and former Attorney General of New Mexico. While he has no record on
product safety, consumers have raised concerns over his past anti-regulatory
stances. Someone who has expressed distaste for government regulation seems an
odd choice to head the regulatory agency for consumer products.
Hearing
dates have not been scheduled. While there is too little information on Mr.
Stratton's position on product safety to oppose the nomination at this point,
KID will be urging the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee to ask questions
that will bring those positions to light before the nomination is confirmed.
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2002 February 11
KID released a new report today highlighting the dangers to children from
recalled products. "Even though children's products account for a small
fraction of the more than 15,000 products regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission," stated Nancy Cowles, KID executive director, "they make up
more than half of the products recalled last year." Clear and Present
Dangers: Children's Product Recalls in 2001 showed that 118 of the 225
recalls issued by the CPSC in 2001 were for items intended for use by children
or for the care of children. In 2001, as in previous years, CPSC recalled an
average of two children's products a week.
Read More >>
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2002 February 1
Chicago Parent Magazine feature article about children's product safety and Kids
In Danger.
Read More >>
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