The annual "Trouble in Toyland" report, issued each year by the Maryland Public Interest Research Group, once again points out potential dangers parents and shoppers should be wary of while selecting gifts for young holiday revelers.
The 33rd annual report took particular focus on toxic amounts of boron found in "slime products," as well as Amazon's failure to label choking hazards where appropriate. Born can cause nausea, vomiting, long-term reproductive issues, and other health issues including potentially death, Maryland PIRG said.
Some of the "slime products" highlighted have up to 15 times the level of boron allowed by the European Union, the report said. Specific to choking hazards, MPIRG searched five pages of results for balloons and found no choking hazard labels on 87 percent of the latex balloons marketed to parents of children under 2.
The group also generally warned about toys that may prove "privacy-invasive," particularly smart toys. To properly use the toys that often rely on internet access and creating accounts, children may be asked to register personal information that could be disclosed to unwanted sources.
Read the full report on Maryland PIRG's website.
