Get the lead out!

Just in time for the holidays… a few more toy recalls are in effect.

This past week, Spin Master Toys, a Toronto-based company, began recalling millions of toys being sold in the U.S., Canada and Australia. These toys, called Aqua dots to U.S. consumers, contain a chemical which, when swallowed, metabolizes into a compound called gamma hydroxyl butyrate. Us grownups may know it simply as, the "date rape drug". That's right, fellow mommies and daddies. These aqua dots- these toys turn into the "date rape drug" when ingested, causing seizures, drowsiness, coma and death. Lovely.

So far, the victims have been relatively few, considering the popularity of these toys. In the U.S., two kids went into comas and a 20-month old was treated. In Australia, a 2 year old and a 10 year old were both hospitalized after swallowing Aqua Dot beads. These are the cases which prompted the recall.

In addition (get out your shopping list, you might have to start crossing things off), there was a separate recall for 405,000 toys due to excessive levels of lead.

10 guesses as to what manufacturerers kicked off this latest slew of recalls. And the first 9 don't count.

Here's a hint, they don't speak English.

Chinese. These products were all made in China. All of them.

That is what pisses me off.

After all of the toy recalls made in China this year, you'd think that the Chinese manufacturers would get their shit together by now and do the right thing- like not make toys containing lead, or coating them with a substance that can put them into non-responsive comas. You would think.

Millions upon millions of toys- just toys- from China have been recalled this year due to safety concerns. Millions. For me, it's pretty clear that we should just stop importing anything from China until they get their shit straight. Food, tires, toothpaste, dog food, toys, medicine, hair plugs- whatever. When their economy goes to shit because the U.S., along with a few other countries, refuses their imports altogether, maybe then they'll be more cautious about quality control.

So, what are our options?

Turns out, there are several:

How 'bout taking a gander at this nifty list of 500 toys not made in China put together by America's very own ToysRUs. This site also has other news on the Chinese manufactured toys and alternatives. Good stuff.

And in my sidebar to the right I have other links to toy companies who DO NOT manufacture in China. Those links will stay.

I myself will be browsing through many of these sites because for the time being I will not be buying Chinese made products. At least, the toys.

*edited to say Thank you to Mom on Coffee for the not-China-made toy maker links I put on the sidebar.*