Parents warned of bad toys

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 265, 29 November 1988, Page 7

Parents warned of bad toys

Parents were warned yesterday by Minister of Consumer Affairs Margaret Shields to take care when choosing toys for pre-school children. Launching the Ministry of Consumer Affairs' Christmas Toy Safety campaign at a special function in the Beehive, the Minister highlighted the hidden dangers of many toys. "The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness of these potential dangers. Every year too many children are hurt, sometimes permanently, by unsafe toys given in love and with the best intention," said Mrs Shields.

"Of particular concern are toys which have small parts that can come off or break off. It is well known that children aged three years and under will put objects in their mouth and up their nose. "According to Health Department records, in 1086 alone, 195 preschoolers were admitted to hospital after they had swallowed or inhaled foreign bodies. These figures don't even show the number of children who were treated and then discharged, or who were rescued by an adult before medical treatment was needed." The Minister said she was so concerned at the

level of injury that she had asked the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to look into the possibility of introducing regulations under the Fair Trading Act which would require all toys in this country to undergo a safety test for ingestion and inhalation hazards. Australia and the United States already have such regulations. Mrs Shields challenged New Zealanders to play it safe with toys this Christmas because "a child's life may be at stake." She urged gift buyers to consider the appropriateness of a toy for the age of the child it is intended for.

A major component of the Toy Safety campaign is a Christmas card sent by the Minister to all parents of pre-school children in New Zealand, drawing their attention to potentially dangerous features of toys. The campaign, which is being financially supported by' Toy world and the Accident Compensation Corporation, also features educational posters for childcare centres and Plunket rooms. The poster has been translated into Maori for distribution to kohanga reo. Mrs Shields said that if anyone sees a toy on sale that might be unsafe, or had experience of a toy failing in a potentially dangerous manner, the matter should be reported to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs so it could be investigated.