While it is impossible to eliminate all risk from our children’s lives, the recalls and deaths in the past ten years have shown us that too little has been done to make children’s products safe.
While one might understand the risk a child faces while out riding a bike or even learning to walk around the living room, one doesn’t expect a crib to collapse, killing a child or pajamas to be covered with a decal containing toxic lead.
The CPSIA, passed last year, will make children safer by requiring products to be tested prior to sale. During the implementation phase of the law, many companies that never tested their products will have to start; and some products, that aren’t safe, will not be able to be sold, even at a thrift store.
But the law contains within it the ability for CPSC to exclude certain products, give guidance to industry on implementation and set rules in such a way to limit the economic harm to small businesses or nonprofit thrift stores. There are small businesses and thrift stores all over the country that are already working to bring their products into compliance and offer consumers safe products. Consumer groups who advocated for the bill along with the representatives from the second hand market and others are working on real solutions, which will keep our kids safe and work for business.
