Consumer Reports Blog: Businesses Rally Against CPSIA

Today's blog in the Consumer Reports blasts yesterday's rally: Businesses Rally Against CPSIA.

As happens so many times it is full of half-truths and misleading comments. I wrote the following response to it today (time will tell whether they will post it):

I do not have time to point out all of the issues with the above report right now. But for now, I would like to point out the fallacies in this law, and in this report.

1) The presence of lead is not dangerous. The ingestion of lead is dangerous. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has been leading and winning the battle on lead poisoning for almost 20 years. They point out that the biggest threat of lead poisoning is from old lead-based paint, primarily in older homes.

2) The absence of lead in children's products does not make them inherently safer. Bicycles, ATVs, and many more rely on lead for its properties. There is no scientific basis to show that these children's products will be safer without lead.

3) The recall of toys and cribs in the recent past shows that the current laws, prior to CPSIA, were working. Dangerous items were being discovered, and removed from the market place.

4) The recalls of the above items were seldom because of lead.

5) The above recalls were seldom, if ever, done on books, clothes, etc. Those items have been lumped together in the "all children's products" being effected by this law. This is the fault of Congress, not the leadership at the CPSC.

6) Businesses are not rallying against CPSIA because of a lack of concern for children. Many of us in these businesses are parents, and it is our concern for children, ours and others, that makes us fight this dreadful legislation.