LAWMAKERS URGED TO BAN LEAD IN TOYS.Byline: LISA The first personal computer to include integrated software and use a graphical interface. Modeled after the Xerox Star and introduced in 1983 by Apple, it was ahead of its time, but never caught on due to its $10,000 price and slow speed. FRIEDMAN Washington Bureau WASHINGTON -- Health and consumer advocates pressed Congress on Thursday to accept nothing less than a total ban on lead in toys to ensure child safety. "There is no reason for lead to be in any product," Dr. Dana Best, with the American Academy of Pediatrics The American Academy of Pediatrics ("AAP") is an organization of pediatricians, physicians trained to deal with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. Its motto is: "Dedicated to the Health of All Children. , told lawmakers inquiring into the recent spate of lead paint on toys imported from China. Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, toy giant Mattel Inc. and other companies have recalled millions of plastic Batman figures, Barbie dolls and other children's playthings since August. Lead in paint is legally limited in the U.S. to 600 parts per million parts per million mg/kg or ml/l; see ppm. , or 0.06 percent. Some of the toys recalled had nearly 200 times that amount, safety experts said. If ingested in·gest tr.v. in·gest·ed, in·gest·ing, in·gests 1. To take into the body by the mouth for digestion or absorption. See Synonyms at eat. 2. , lead paint can cause brain damage and learning disabilities. "There is no acceptable level of lead exposure," Best testified before the House Energy and Commerce consumer protection subcommittee, which has been holding hearings into how the tainted toys missed detection and how to prevent future problems. Activists urged Congress to implement a comprehensive ban on lead in toys. They also pressed for caution on future trade agreements, arguing that current ones have weakened U.S. ability to enforce regulations. About 86 percent of the $22 billion toys sold each year in the U.S. are imported from China. That number soared after the country entered the World Trade Organization in 2001, said Lori Wallach of the watchdog group Public Citizen. Others advocated increased funding and authority for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Chairman John Dingell John David Dingell, Jr. (born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 8 1926) is a Democratic United States Representative from Michigan and is currently the Dean (longest-serving member) of the House of Representatives, with a tenure longer than the entire current time served of 121 , D-Mich., said he plans to introduce legislation addressing the tainted-toy scare and overhauling the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Other proposals include legislation by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and New Jersey Rep. Mike Ferguson that would establish an independent certification process for all foreign imports and ban uncertified un·cer·ti·fied adj. Not officially verified, guaranteed, or registered; not certified: an uncertified teacher. Adj. 1. imports from entering the country. Meanwhile, the nonprofit company behind Sesame Street vowed to send independent auditors to factories and stores to check for lead in all the toys it licenses. "We must be even more vigilant about who we license to produce products that bear our characters," said Gary Knell knell v. knelled, knell·ing, knells v.intr. 1. To ring slowly and solemnly, especially for a funeral; toll. 2. To give forth a mournful or ominous sound. v.tr. , Sesame Workshop's president and chief executive. "And we must be very clear about the standards they must satisfy." lisa.friedman@langnews.com (202) 662-8731 |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion