By Rebecca Anzel
The office of Illinois’ top lawyer has released its annual safe-shopping guide prior to the holiday shopping season to alert families about recalled-children’s toys, clothing, and furniture.
The report includes information about goods that are a safety hazard and have been linked to infant deaths. Some of the items featured include choking hazards, articles of clothing that do not meet the government’s flammability standard, and furniture that can injure children if not assembled correctly.
There are more than 30 products on the list, including certain bath toys, handmade knit dolls, power wheels toys, boots, socks, and pajamas.
Attorney general Kwame Raoul said the guide, which features photos of the hazardous products, is meant to help Illinoisans more-easily spot the goods, so shoppers do not purchase them or can remove them from homes.
“The Safe Shopping Guide is a tool that all gift-givers should consult this holiday season before shopping for the children on their lists,” he said in a press release.
The attorney general’s office has published the guide for about 10 years, a spokesperson said, but it is Raoul’s first time distributing it since he took office in January. The office publishes consumer alerts for all recalled products throughout the year on its website, illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group released its annual Trouble in Toyland report, which has additional information about potentially-hazardous toys. It features goods that pose a choking hazard, and information about toxins found in products and which toys present a privacy risk.
It urges caution for consumers that online stores do not always remove recalled items from their sites.
A complete list of product warnings and recall information can be found on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website, www.recalls.gov. Raoul’s office has a recall hotline, 1-888-414-7678, for Illinoisans seeking more information.
The safe shopping guide can be found at illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/safe_shopping.html. The Trouble in Toyland report can be found at uspirg.org/feature/usp/trouble-in-toyland-2019.
— Capitol News Illinois