10 Most Dangerous Toys List For 2014 Just Released

A list of the most dangerous toys on the market for 2014 has just been released. Parents and consumers are urged to be extra vigilant this holiday season when shopping for holiday gifts for children.

The “10 Worst Toys” list for this holiday season was issued by World Against Toys Causing Harm (W.A.T.C.H), a consumer group out of Boston. Since 1973, each holiday season W.A.T.C.H. has been reminding consumers and parents about the potential hazards of dangerous toys being sold on the market.

Associated Press reported the director of World Against Toys Causing Harm Inc., James Swartz had this to say about their review of the dangerous toys when he spoke at a news conference at the Franciscan Hospital for Children.

“It’s not so much about the specific toys. It’s about the hazards.”

Many of the dangerous toys Swartz and his organizers reviewed had hazardous designs. Some dangerous toys had detachable parts that can choke an infant or young child. Additionally, they also had strings attached to them that could potentially cause strangulation.

For example, the Air Storm Firetek Bow made by Zing comes with three arrows, which are marketed as being able to fly up to 145 feet.

In addition, the Alphabet Zoo Rock & Stack Pull Toy manufactured by Skip Hop recommends this dangerous toy is suitable for children 18 months and older. The toy has a pull string that is 20 inches long. However, the toy industry standard for pull strings requires toys to have strings no longer than 12 inches.

What’s also remarkable about this dangerous toy is the manufacturer recognizes the possible danger of strangulation and they provide a warning on the bottom of the package. But the potential for entanglement injuries or strangulation cannot be found on the toy itself.

According to Associate Press, when the W.A.T.C.H. group displayed the 10 most dangerous toys for this year, Schwartz made this comment.

“There’s no reason, after all these years, we should have toys like this. We shouldn’t be finding these things for manufacturers. They should be designing them appropriately in the first place.”

The Toy Industry Association released a statement to CBS Boston.

“The toy industry works in close cooperation with government agencies such as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, medical experts, consumer groups and others who can help us meaningfully enhance the safety of our industry’s products.”

The W.A.T.C.H. list of worst and dangerous toys for 2014 is as follows:

—”Air Storm Firetek Bow” by Zing
—”Ziggle” four-wheeled cycle by Radio Flyer
—”Catapencil” by Toysmith
—”Alphabet Zoo Rock & Stack Pull Toy” by Skip Hop
—”SWAT Electric Machine Gun” by Junxing Toys Industrial Co.
—”Wooden Instruments” sold at Wal-Mart
—”Bottle Rocket Party” by Norman & Globus
—”Lil’ Cutesies-Best Friends” doll by JC Toys Group
—”True Legends Orcs Battle Hammer” sold at Toys R Us
—”Colored Hedgehog” plush toy sold at Toys R Us

More than 65 percent of toys are sold during the holiday season. W.A.T.C.H.’s president, Joan Siff notes that in 2014, at least 17 dangerous toys have been recalled, which represents over 4.8 million units of toys in the U.S. and Canada so far.

Siff and the W.A.T.C.H. consumer group urges parents and consumers to be extra cautious when choosing a toy for a child this holiday season.

[Photo courtesy of wikipedia]