New Jersey officials have a list of recalled toys, and are checking it twice, as they prowl retail stores in the Garden State. Attorney General Anne Milgram and State Consumer Affairs Director David Szuchman say investigators from the division conducted 40 random store inspections Tuesday, looking for unsafe toys during the holiday shopping season, removing previously recalled items from store shelves.
"Nothing is as important as the safety of our children, which is why we all must be vigilant in making sure that the toys we purchase during the holiday season are safe for our kids, and making sure that toys federal safety experts have found to be dangerous — whether a choking hazard or tainted by lead paint — are no longer available for sale,'' Milgram said.
"We're spot-checking stores for recalled toys that should not be on store shelves and available for purchase," said Szuchman, who joined inspectors at a Newark Family Dollar Store where the 40th unannounced inspection for recalled toys took place. "Consumers should review the list of toys recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and ensure these dangerous items do not end up in a child's hands."
Four of the 39 stores inspected prior to Tuesday were selling or had recently offered two toys recalled by the CPSC: Little Tikes Chit 'N Chat Toy Cell Phone and the Fun 'N Games Magnetic Dart Board.
Investigators found Little Tikes Chit 'N Chat Toy Cell Phones on the shelves of Family Dollar Stores located in Bayville, Newark and Passaic. The Family Dollar Store in Bayonne had Fun 'N Games Magnetic Dart Boards in stock prior to the store inspection.
In its May, 2008 recall notice, the CPSC stated that the" hinge cover on the toy cell phone can detach from the phone, posing a choking hazard to young children." The April, 2008 recall notice for the dart boards stated that "small magnets at the ends of the darts can detach. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal."
Other recent toy recalls announced by the CPSC were because of high lead paint levels and the risk of laceration, impalement or choking.
State Consumer Affairs investigators have the authority to order the removal of any recalled toy found offered for sale. County consumer affairs offices also are conducting inspections for recalled toys.
