The team at building block toy company Click-A-Brick are pleased to see the Toy Industry Association (TIA) setting the record straight about toy safety in the lead up to Christmas to counteract the erroneous claims from a few non-governmental organizations that are often touted at this time of year.
Among the groups the TIA has taken aim at, are:
U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) for its 2014 report "Trouble in Toyland,"
World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc. (WATCH) for its 2014 "10 Worst Toys" list, and
Clean and Healthy New York for its 2015 report "Toxic Toys in Monroe County.”
In an attempt to drum up publicity and support for their organizations, the TIA alleges in a press release, these groups release reports that are meant to generate fear among the toy-buying public.
"Each holiday season, a small group of non-governmental organizations seek to generate publicity and donations for themselves by needlessly frightening parents during an otherwise joyful time of year," said Steve Pasierb, President & CEO of the TIA. "Having spent more than two decades in public health, I see these groups time and again failing to support their claims with credible, scientific data that families can trust. What parents can rely on is knowing that all toys sold in the U.S. are highly regulated 365 days a year by the federal government and must meet more than 100 safety standard requirements. These are established facts in which parents can have faith."
To combat the erroneous claims made by these groups and their reports, the TIA has conducted its own analysis of their claims and has found several falsehoods and much sloppy research.
Among the transgressions perpetrated by these groups and their reports, the TIA found that:
None of the toys named in these reports have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
W.A.T.C.H. doesn't test the toys it claims are unsafe.
Neither Clean and Healthy New York nor PIRG use Consumer Product Safety Commission-accredited laboratories to conduct their testing.
Many 'dangerous' toys named by PIRG and Clean and Healthy New York aren't actually toys.
The TIA asserts that it works year-round with the government agencies tasked with ensuring toy safety in the US and toy manufacturers who make toys for the US market.
Co-Founders of building block toy company Click-A-Brick Jason Smith and Georg de Gorostiza say they are glad to see the TIA stepping up and setting the record straight about these groups and their erroneous claims.
“As toy retailers, we appreciate that the Toy Industry Association has the interests of toy companies and consumers in mind and nothing proves that more than when they take a stand against reports that can potentially damage the reputation of toy companies that adhere to federal regulations but get included in false claims from these groups,” Smith said. “This is supposed to be a joyous time of year, but we can’t help but get a little angry when these groups who claim to be consumer advocates release false information about products and needlessly play on people’s fears. Hopefully, consumers know the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is the authority on toy safety and not groups just looking for publicity by peddling lies.”
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