Toymaker Giant fined for allowing lead paint. What does this ruling mean for families?

June 6, 2009 - PRLog -- Toymaker giant, Mattel and its subsidiary Fisher-Price, has been fined 2.3 million by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for allowing toys containing lead into the United States. This is a clear message to both toymakers and consumers, that "the CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead, and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.”

And there is a ban on lead paint for a good reason. Not enough of us have a real understanding of what lead does to babies and children, and just how little it takes to do damage. There is simply not  enough awareness of what it means to a child when there is lead paint on a Barbie doll, or a toy car.

An amount of lead equivalent to three tiny granules of sugar – the kind you put in your tea, is all it takes to cause permanent damage. There is simply no safe level of lead exposure and the younger the child, the more susceptible they are to it.

In older children, lead lowers IQ and adds to an accumulating lead load that is resulting in concerning behavior problems in the teen years. When lead reaches the developing brain of an unborn child or a child under two, the result is lowered intelligence, learning disabilities, ADHD and behavior disorders later in life.  It’s the explanation of why there is a growing epidemic of individuals with learning and behavior challenges – a factor that is not only stressing the resources of schools, but also safety and productivity in the workplace. Add the related issue of crime and its costs, also an issue that researchers are certain is lead exposure related, and you have a very significant financial burden that taxpayers must shoulder.

Canadian authors, Cerazy and Cottingham say this news about Mattel’s fine is a positive step for consumers, but not a message that we can sit back and rest easy. In fact, they insist, the message is the opposite. It is up to individuals to make their homes lead-safe. A list of recalled products or government intervention in bad manufacturing practice is simply not enough.

“ Consumers need a good understanding of the science attached to our biological susceptibility. And insight into the demand our society has created for lead’s continuing use and production so we know where to look for lead.”  Cerazy and Cottingham maintain that creating a lead-safe home is not complicated or expensive, but that it takes more than removing a few Barbies or toy cars from the toy box. Their new book, “Lead Babies” ties science to real life, and then guides readers through a practical three-step process to identify and remove lead from their homes. Visit www.nomoreleadbabies.com for more information about the book entitled, “LEAD BABIES; Breaking the cycle of learning disabilities, declining IQ, ADHD, behavior problems, and autism”.

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Joanna Cerazy M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham Ph.D. are authors and researchers in the field of special education.