Toy poses health threat

August 13, 2006

By DARRELL L. BREESE

and Michael Rovito

Frontiersman

PALMER - A bendable toy distributed to children during summer reading programs at public libraries across Alaska is causing alarm after unsafe levels of lead were found in the toy's paint.

Plastic, bendable dogs and cats, stamped &#8220Made in China” on the back of their heads, contain a high level of lead and may pose serious health risk to children if chewed on, according to state health officials.

The rubbery toys are roughly 4 inches long, with round heads and long bendable arms and legs. They come in various colors. Parents are asked to return the toys to the library where they were received so they can be disposed of properly.

The Alaska Department of Public Health and Social Services issued a consumer health alert Thursday. The alert stated that approximately 2,400 toys were obtained by 72 libraries in Alaska, including seven in the Mat-Su Borough.

Barbra Holian, the department's public information officer, said the lead content in these particular toys is at dangerous levels of 0.24 to 0.4. Federal regulations stipulate a product's lead content may be no higher than 0.06

&#8220These are high,” Holian said. &#8220This is what I would call a hot toy.”

Holian went on to say that children who chew on the toys and possibly swallow some of the paint run the risk of lead poisoning. The lead can be absorbed in their bodies and brains and can cause prolonged learning and development disorders, Holian said. The toys are not hazardous to touch. Young children, infants and developing fetuses are at greatest risk of lead poisoning.

&#8220We are currently unaware of any children in Alaska who have become ill or who have elevated lead concentrations because of the toys,” Division of Public Health Medical Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin said Thursday. &#8220Parents should consult with a health care provider if they think their child has swallowed any portion of the toys.”

The toys also were given out in 30 other states. The toy's maker, Highsmith Inc. in Fort Atkinson, Wis., has issued a voluntary recall.

These same toys have been ordered in the past by the Alaska Library System, but there have never been any problems, Holian said Friday.

&#8220We are totally dismayed that this could happen,” said Sue Sherif, ALS school library youth services coordinator. &#8220We've suggested to the libraries that they contact the families (of the children).”

Sherif stressed that, while many libraries in the Mat-Su received the toys, with Palmer and Wasilla branches ordering extra shipments, it doesn't necessarily mean children in summer reading programs got them.

It is not known exactly how many toys were given away to local children, but borough librarians estimate that nearly 350 were distributed at the Sutton, Talkeetna, Willow, Big Lake, Palmer and Wasilla public libraries.

&#8220We were sad to learn of the problem,” said Linda Brenner, Mat-Su Borough manager of recreation and libraries. &#8220All of the libraries in the area have stopped distributing the toys and have taken quick action to alert the public to the recall. We hope that we can get all the toys returned quickly and that no children will be harmed.”

Librarians at the Big Lake Library have been contacting parents of the 264 children who participated in its summer reading program.

&#8220It's unfortunate that we've had to contact the parents and participate in this recall,” Big Lake Assistant Librarian Peggy Oberg said. &#8220But for the most part, the parents have been understanding and plan to bring the toys in. We'll exchange them for some of the other prizes we have so the kids still get something.”

The Palmer Library has posted a photo of the toys on its Web site and put up posters to educate the public of the recall. However, the library will be closed for inventory Monday through Aug. 19, so parents should drop the toys in the book return.

Word of the contaminated toys first spread after a librarian from Bloomington, Ind., took one of the toys to a hospital workshop she was attending, Sherif said. After determining that the lead content looked unsafe, the librarian turned the toys over to the Indiana Board of Health, which confirmed her findings.

As of Friday, the state library system and health department are working on notifying parents in an effort to collect as many contaminated toys as possible.