Where have the days gone when a little kid could get some saliva on their Barbie and not have to worry about their health? What fun is a toxic toy train? They certainly seem far, far away and somewhere over the rainbow when I think about the current controversy regarding the lead paint contamination in Chinese-made toys. There was recently an article in the Daily News that focused on "Toy Giant" Mattel and the congressional scrutiny that they are now under in light of the recent recalls that they were forced to have due to lack of safety. From what I can gather from the article, Mattel Inc. took a beating from congressional leaders on Wednesday for their failure to detect the contamination in their toys, such as their Barbies and Thomas and Friends train sets, just to name a few. There was a two-day hearing regarding this case and legislators accused Mattel of negligence and obstructing a congressional investigation into how these toys ended up getting to kids.
And I am certainly glad that the government is taking this issue so seriously...after the damage has been done. But why did it take them this long? Why did it take until this time for the government to find out that safety was not a priority to Chinese manufacturers and huge companies like Mattel? It is a pretty big deal, isn't it? I believe that this should be the main issue: not how we are going to punish Mattel for their wrongdoing, but how the government is going to be proactive about getting involved in ensuring the safety of these Chinese products. 86% of all toys manufactured in the United States come from China. And toys are not the only products that make up the economy obviously; plenty of other industries and their products could just as well have been exposed to lead paint. And when you look at the issue with all of these statements in mind, it becomes much more huge than the Barbie-doll manufacturer's slip-up. It becomes a problem on a national scale and Mattel simply represents one of many companies who seems to be compromising safety for a few extra bucks. What kind of sick economy does the United States have?
So where does the government's position fall regarding the safety of these products. Lawmakers mentioned the Consumer Product Safety Commission and its current state of disrepair: both underfunded and understaffed. Thirty years ago, this Commission had 800 people working to ensure product safety. Currently, half that number is employed for this job. Outdated labs and tools make it difficult to regulate these products that could contain lead. And although the agency has already negotiated an agreement with China that includes new, strict safety requirements, the agency has no way of enforcing these rules.
As consumers, I believe that we need to stay on top of the government and make sure that they follow through with this issue of safety. How can we do this? It is quite simple; we have more power than we think. They will soon see that consumers will not buy products when they have any doubt that they are safe. Economics are very powerful in the United States and they will speak for themselves. We will, in this way, demand the safety we want to see and thus demand the government's involvement and follow-through.
5 comments:
hey sarah!
I agree with you that the government should be involved in setting some kind of quality standard on goods imported from other countries. Especially toys, which can pose potential danger to children. With importing goods from China for a cheaper price, we also run the risk of getting a product that is not of the best quality. The options are to either start producing goods in America, which would raise prices, or to ensure quality control, which may be a more economy friendly option. Either way, this is one instance where government should take part in ensuring product quality.
I agree with you Sarah that only our economic power will make the companies and government continue their stricter regulations. As we had demonstated together in AP Economy (woot!), the devestating discovery has caused the demand of toys to drop dramatically. As a result, many of the prices of the companies' toys have droped dramatically. If they want to stay in business, they will have to prove to society that they will uphold regulation policies from now on. Personally, I am now less afraid of China's toys since they are on closer watch. However, I am worried more about the numerous countries in which have also sliped through the cracks of our government's policies. Hopefully, America will be most focused on this issue and it will not happen again.
Hey Sarah!
So I agree that this is a major issue and the United States government needs to be doing more to regulate the safety of our toys. I think the problem is our government is driven by the economy, i.e. money. Even your example on how to get the attention of the government invovles the witholding of money. WE live in a sad world if that is what it takes for the government to listen to us. Also I think our government should be putting more money into the Consumer Product Safety Commission instead of other things such as the war in Iraq. I think it is more important to focus on the immediate safety of our citizens then the possible threats.
I remember when I used to suck on Thomas.
Anyway, for a large part I don't think we can blame the greed of Mattel's C.E.O. or that of other corporate executives for the inadequate health standards of Chinese toys. I reported on the prevalence of lead paint in Chinese toys a few weeks ago, and I read that the main reason for the concentration of lead paint is the difficultly of enforcing Chinese standards. They're actually tougher than America's, but a lot of the paint comes from obscure sub-contracted factories that are hard to find. Plus, China exports their goods to some Middle Eastern countries that don't have any lead regulation laws, so using lead paint becomes much more profitable.
If safety is to be assured in American toys, then I agree with you that our companies are going to need to create a mean by which to enforce the health standards of our nation on their own.
Holy Moley!
Lead in childrens' toys? That cannot be good at ALL! I think it is ridiculus how practically everything in the United States is made in China. Probably eighty percent of the things on my desk right now was manufactured in China. Childrens' toys are even worse. Because babies pretty much put anything and everything in their mouth, these toys can be potentially harmful. The government should not be allowing these cheaply made toys that lack quality or any safety regulation to be sold in America. In order to protect the future generation of tihs country, large, multi-billion dollar businesses like Mattel can spare a few cents and manufacture here in the United States. This way, the government would be able to enforce safety regulations and ensure the quality of these toys.
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