Feds Seize Two Million Toys Hazardous To Kids’ Health

Top federal officials have seized two million toys in an effort to block a flood of hazardous kids’ toys from hitting US store shelves from overseas this holiday season.

Federal customs and consumer protection officials have intercepted the toys and other products for children, claiming that more than two million have intercepted so far this year, reports ABC News.

US Customs and Consumer Product Safety Commission officials showed some of the toys confiscated this year during a briefing on Friday, laying out princess jewelry, toy cars, dolls, and action figures.

While the toys may look innocent, investigators said that the products were blocked from entering the US because all of them can be hazardous to a child’s health. While some of the products contained dangerously high levels of lead, others had sharp edges or contained small parts that could cause a child to choke.

Yahoo! News notes that Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar stated:

“Together with CPSC, we have intercepted record amounts of unsafe products. We are here to raise consumers’ awareness about the very real danger of unsafe products.”

Customs officials also stated that seizures have almost doubled in quantity and value since 2008. Despite the mass of toys that are seized before they can hit the shelves, dangerous toys still kill some American children. Thirteen children younger than 15 died in 2011 from toy-related incidents, down from 19 fatalities in 2012.

While there are no figures for how many of the toys in emergency room visits or deaths have come from overseas, officials believe that it is often cheap and poorly made imported toys that cause problems. CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum stated:

“Proactive surveillance at the ports, strong toy standards and educational efforts create a safer holiday toy shopping experience for consumers by keeping dangerous products off store shelves. Ultimately, our goal is to protect our most vulnerable population — kids — and keep them safe this holiday season.”