Out of the 225 Pokemon figures it bought from various stores in Manila, the EcoWaste coalition found 38 samples contain detectable lead levels. (Photo by Ecowaste Coalition)
DAVAO CITY — A watch group warned the public against the latest Pokemon-inspired toys that could pose danger to kids.
In a statement Thursday, September 1, Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition Project Protect said parents should be on the lookout for toys that have chemical and choking risks to their children.
“Not all toys cashing in on the immensely popular Pokemon are created equal. Some are laden with toxic lead, many are too small for little children to safely play with and most, if not all, are improperly labeled,” said Dizon.
“These words of advice are not meant to throw cold water on the Pokemon craze, but simply to remind consumers to be on their toes,” he added.
The EcoWaste Coalition found that 38 toys out of the 225 plastic Pokemon figures it bought from various stores in Manila on August 29 to 31 contain lead concentrations.
“Out of 225 samples, 38 were found to contain lead concentrations ranging from 132 to 6,880 parts per million (ppm). Lead is prohibited in the production of children’s toys as per DENR Administrative Order 2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds,” Dizon said.
The toys were bought in Lucky Chinatown Mall (Annex) and Divisoria Mall in Manila City and stores outside public elementary schools in Makati and Quezon Cities. These repacked toys are sold starting from P5 which is very affordable for children.
Dizon added that parents should be warned of small Pokemon figure toys that may pose choking or ingestion hazard when used by kids under three years of age and played without adult supervision.
“The Pokemon toys inside the Poke balls measure only 2 centimeters and look like Gummi Bear candies,” Dizon said.
“It’s very important for parents to be watchful of toys with small parts as kids may suffer from choking or swallowing small objects that can block the passage of air and cause serious injuries and even deaths,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
