Consumer safety officials are being asked to change the standards used to determine if a child could choke on a small part of a toy.
Federal law requires toys with small parts to be clearly labeled as containing a potential choking hazard for children under the age of three. However, Bruce Speight with WISPIRG says that standard is several decades old and it might be time to take another look.
WISPIRG and its national partners are calling on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to increase the minimum size of a choking hazard from 1.25 inches to 1.75. Speight says the push comes after many toys were found on the market with parts that just barely exceed the current standard, but still have small parts that children have reportedly choked on.
The increase would make the standard similar to about the width of the cardboard tube in a roll of toilet paper. Speight says that’s already a tool they advocate parents use when checking toys for small parts, but increasing the federal guideline would require stricter warning labels for toys.