Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Ravi Bhatia - Talk Radio News Service

Inez Tenenbaum, Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said Monday that toy recall rates have dropped in 2009 compared to the last two years.

According to Tenenbaum, there have been 38 toy recalls this year, down from 162 in 2008 and 148 in 2007.

“Toys now have to be independently tested and certified by a third party laboratory that they meet the new lead paint limits,” Tenenbaum said. “That’s good for the consumer. There have been 15 recalls involving lead [this year], and that is down from 63 from 2007 and 85 in 2008."

With the hioliday season fast approaching, Tenenbaum urged parents to buy their children age-appropriate toys, even if their child displays the intelligence to play with toys designed for older children.

“Many people will see a label and say that ‘my child is already reading and I’ll get the child something in a higher range group,’” she said. “These are safety standards, [they don’t just measure] cognitive ability. When [a toy label] says three to five, that deals with the safety of your child. Make sure you keep younger children away from the toys of older siblings.”