Seven Myth-Busting Facts About the CPSIA

Rumor has it that some of our friends in the small enterprise world may be heading down to Washington, DC today to express their views about the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).   As a parting gift, ThePopTort is providing the following complimentary and easily totable “Myth-Buster” list for quick and easy reference.  Enjoy!

1)    Congress passed the CPSIA overwhelmingly in the wake of unprecedented toy recalls, many of which included lead, after almost a year of careful deliberation. 
2)    It is well known that lead exposure in children can result in seizures, comas, brain damage, and ultimately death—and as two recent studies published by the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine indicate (see here and here), even the tiniest amount of lead can hurt children's developing brains.
3)    The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has the authority to grant exclusions from the CPSIA to businesses that show there is no risk of harm from the materials they use—but has consistently chosen not to.
4)    Despite being directed by Congressional leaders (including three committee chairs)  to determine whether children’s books and apparel, thrift and consignment store merchandise, and select component parts (among other things) ought to be excluded from CPSIA lead testing requirements, the CPSC has chosen not to officially do so.  (See disclaimer on the first page of this document)
5)    The CPSC has expressly refused to comply with the CPSIA’s mandate to create a database that will make vital information about toxic childrens products available to the general public.
6)    The CPSC’s consistent failure to do its job in implementing the CPSIA demonstrates that Bush holdovers at the agency are doing their level best to “foot drag” the landmark child safety law to death. 
7)    Some stores are continuing to endanger children by selling products that contain lead, despite passage of the CPSIA. 

Comments

[DHM]

Thanks for leaving a comment to my blog, although it is ironic that you expect others to publish your comments when you refuse to publish dissent on your blog. I will publish yours when you begin to permit some dissent on your blog- perhaps by publishing my previous comment or the context to the one comment of Kathleen Fasanella's you decided to publish. I realize you hold such an indefensable position that you must resort to rhetorical dishonesty, but I am not playing that game.

[Joe Consumer]

Thanks for your insight into the CPSIA.