Last week I wrote the post, Toys that will make you sick, about the recall of imported toys from China, due to led paint. Over the weekend, Cheung Shu-hung, the co-owner of Lee Der Industrial Co., the company that manufactured recalled Mattel toys, hung himself in one of the company warehouses. Cheung's apparent best friend was the supplier of the “fake” paint, which he claimed he was unaware of (Head of China toy company kills self)
The suicide of Cheung Shu-hung, is just one death related to tainted Chinese exports, as just over a month ago the former State Food and Drug Administration director Zheng Xiaoyu, was executed. Zheng had been sentenced in May for taking bribes to speed drug approvals., of which he admitted to during his hearing. Most in the west found the execution of Zheng Xiaoyu to be unfitting, or harsh, for the crime, and the suicide of Cheung Shu-hung shocking.
The newest recalls came this Monday as Chinese-made hotel toothpaste is recalled. Gilchrist & Soames has now recalled its 18-milliliter or 0.65-ounce tubes, as the company sample tubes contained diethylene glycol, ‘a chemical found in antifreeze and can be toxic to the kidneys and liver’.
While suicides and executions are extreme measures in any case, it highlights the scale of the problem with Chinese imports. When push came to shove, the finger of blame was always directed at someone else. The manufactures blame the production factories, and the factories blame the suppliers, but who is really to blame. Some blame the US government for not having better standards and regulations for imports, others the Chinese government for not ensuring that safety standards are adhered to, and then some blame the consumers for our want of excess at any cost. The truth is the blame is to be shared, we can't just keep pointing our fingers and not keep our eyes on the situation. If we want safe products for our children, then we have to demand better control systems are put into place, at all levels. Long gone are the days of impulse buying, as safety and health have no guarantee at the cash register.
UPDATE, 23:00 August 14, 2007: This post was put up early in the morning on August 14, 2007, however in the hours following the post the story has once again taken another turn with more toy recalls. Today 9 million toys where recalled by Mattel over fears that they may have lead paint, or small magnets which could be swallowed by a child. The recalled toys included an array of Polly Pockets, Doggie Day Care, and Batman. The recall of the Polly Pocket toys, are a follow-up recall to a 2005 voluntary recall of 4.4 toys, originally pulled due to an issue with the magnets, which attach the dolls clothing, falling off. A 7 year old girl got a serious infection after swallowing the magnets in 2005, and commenting on the recall today and her daughters near fatal incident, the girls mother, said “It should have been done two years ago, when my daughter almost died,”
Mattel chief executive Bob Eckert said, "There is no guarantee that we will not be here again and have more recalls," Eckert said. "We are testing at a very high level here." (Mattel issues new massive China toy recall)
The following article from Parenting Magazine, may be of great use to many parents out there who find themselves again searching their child's room for toxic toys. How to take away recalled toys with fewer tears
