The Illinois Safe Toys Shopping Guide

In my previous blog, Merry Christmas from Illinois, I highlighted a new simple and easy to use shopping guide for toys that have been recalled or banned from being sold in Illinois stores that can be downloaded and printed out at the Illinois Attorney Generals Website

Another convenient option available is the ability to subscribe to the e-mail notification service that keeps you updated with the latest recalls and you can visit this site to learn more.

Something that came to our attention was a product that has been highlighted as containing high levels of lead that has been spotlighted by the Illinois Attorney General's office but may be still being sold in other states.

According to the Illinois Attorney General's website:

"The tests of the red, blood pressure cuffs revealed lead levels of 5,900 parts per million and 4,500 parts per million, more than seven to nine times higher than the limit of 600 parts per million allowed by Illinois state law."

Why would it be allowed to be sold in other States but not Illinois?

Simple. Illinois has the highest state standards concerning lead products in the Country. In 2002 it was estimated that Illinois led the nation in children exposed to lead poisoning with more then 16,000 reported cases. The Illinois Department of Health has estimated that more then 81,000 children in Illinois are being harmed by lead poisoning.

Lead poisoning in children can cause irreversible brain damage and even very low levels of lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities. Due to these concerns, Illinois passed some of the strictest laws to protect the health of Illinois Children in 2006. The Take Action Lead Safe Illinois website details many of these initiatives to provide a safer environment for children to lead the way in PREVENTION of lead poisoning in the first place. As stated on the Take Action Lead Safe Illinois website, lead poisoning in Children causes Irreversible brain damage.

Lead in our Homes

As real estate professionals, we have disclosures mandated by Federal Law that must be provided to potential home buyers if we are representing sellers of homes built before 1978.

U.S. manufacturing guidelines have many of these same principles involved for the manufacturing of household items. UNFORTUNATELY many foreign countries do not have these same guidelines and are producing items with high levels of lead being shipped to the United States that are finding their ways into American homes.

I found this informative site concerning the issues involved and where to find toys that are made in the United States. Obviously, many toy manufactures have moved their plants overseas for cheaper labor which has resulted in the loss of American jobs.

Obviously, there is quite some concern that the housing meltdown is going to create a recession in the United States. Interestingly, by purchasing toys manufactured in the United States it certainly appears not only safer, but may help the U.S. economy by rewarding U.S. based toy manufactures and their employees and there certainly is nothing wrong with that!

• Illinois Attorney General

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