Guide highlights recalled hazardous toys and children’s products

The 2021 Safe Shopping Guide includes detailed descriptions and photos of children’s products recalled in the last year. Since January, there have been more than 50 recalls of products by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that is focused on protecting children.

Abe Scarr from Illinois PIRG, a public interest advocate, said some of the problem areas being highlighted this year include counterfeit and knockoff toys.

“While not every counterfeit or knockoff toy may be dangerous, it should alarm parents that they could buy a product that has not undergone proper safety testing,” said Scarr.

This year, some of the products parents and guardians should watch out for include toys, swimsuits, and baby spoons and forks that have been recalled due to choking hazards from parts that can break off, sleepwear and bathrobes that can be flammable, and winter jackets that pose strangulation risks.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said products for older kids can pose a hazard as well.

“Bicycles with faulty brakes or parts that can dislodge and cause a rider to fall and potentially be injured, hoverboards that can overheat or explode, and youth all-terrain vehicles that do not meet safety requirements or speed restrictions,” Raoul said.

Raoul adds that recalled items should not appear on store shelves, but they may still be available through secondhand sellers.

Consumers can view and download the guide at the attorney general’s website. For more information about product recalls, contact the attorney general’s recall hotline at 1-888-414-7678.