PSN Issue
Toymaker giant Mattel, and its subsidiary Fisher-Price, has been fined
$2.3 million by the United States’ Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
for allowing toys containing lead into the United States. This is a clear
message to both toymakers and consumers, that the “CPSC is committed to the
safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead, and to the
implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.”
And there is a ban on lead paint for a good reason.
Not enough of us have a real understanding of what lead does to babies and
children, and just how little it takes to do damage. They are simply not aware
of what it means to a child when there is lead paint on a Barbie doll, or a toy
car.
An amount of lead equivalent to three tiny granules
of sugar – the kind you put in your tea, is all it takes to cause
permanent damage. There is simply no safe level of lead exposure, and the
younger the child, the more susceptible they are to
it.
In older children, lead lowers IQ and adds to an
accumulating lead load that is resulting in concerning behavior problems in the
teen years. When lead reaches the developing brain of an unborn child, or a
child under two, the result is lowered intelligence, learning disabilities,
ADHD and behavior disorders later in life. It’s the explanation of why there is a growing epidemic of
individuals with learning and behavior challenges – a factor that is not
only stressing the resources of schools, but also safety and productivity in
the workplace. Add the related issue of crime and its costs, also an issue that
researchers are certain is lead exposure related, and you have a very
significant burden that taxpayers must shoulder.
Canadian authors, Cerazy and Cottingham say this news
about Mattel’s fine is a positive step for consumers, but warn this is not a
message that we can sit back and rest easy. In fact, they insist, the message
is the opposite. It is up to individuals to make their homes lead-safe. A list
of recalled products or government intervention in bad manufacturing practice
is simply not enough.
“
Consumers need a good understanding of the science attached to our biological
susceptibility. And insight into the demand our society has created for lead’s
continuing use and production so we know where to look for lead.” Cerazy and Cottingham maintain that
creating a lead-safe home is not complicated or expensive, but that it takes
more than removing a few Barbies or toy cars from the toy box. Their new book,
“Lead Babies” ties science to real life, and then guides readers through a
practical three-step process to identify and remove lead from their homes.
Visit www.nomoreleadbabies.com
for more information about the book entitled, “LEAD BABIES; Breaking the cycle
of learning disabilities, declining IQ, ADHD, behavior problems, and autism”.
About Author: Sandra Cottingham, Ph.D. has
twenty years of classroom experience with
regular students and with students with special needs. As a consultant in a
large British Columbia school district, Dr. Cottingham
works with teachers and administrators supporting children with significant
cognitive, behavioural, and mental health challenges.
Dr. Cottingham has been an instructor in the
Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education at
the University of British Columbia and a guest presenter for Simon Fraser
University. Her doctoral dissertation entitled, Implementing the Mandate of
Inclusion, A Model for Moving from Concept to Action was published by Tilburg
University, Faculty of Social and Behavioural
Sciences, in the Netherlands where she received her PhD in 2007.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is of a general nature and is furnished for knowledge and understanding only.