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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1988)
_University_ OSPIRG toy survey reveals Dangerous Dozen' By Frale de Gu/man Emerald Associate Editor With only 1H shopping days left before Christinas, here's a Up to remember when buying what appears to be the perfect toy. According to the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group's (OSPIRG) annual toy safety survey of 34 toy outlets, about a dozen “dangerous” pies of toys that, because of misappropriate or absent label ing, have resulted in the injury or death of young children. According to statistics re leased from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). about 131,000 children nationwide were treated in hos pital emergency rooms for toy related injuries last year. This is an increase from 1986's fig ure of 113,000. In addition, 37 deaths from ‘Manufacturers do not have to clear their product with us. Anyone can make a toy and put it out on the market, and we can only hope that it is safe. ’ -Anne Pavlich toys are being sold in stores to day. The survey, titled "Another Dangerous Dozen.” sited Roller Lisa, Baby’s First Gift Set, Spin Around Play House, and a stuffed monkey plush toy as ex amples of a few of the danger ous toys found on store shelves. Other hazardous toys on the list are the Playtime lust Born doll, a toy tom tom drum with a single drumstick, a teddy hear plush toy. a six-piece toy tool set. and the Zoom Copter. These are only a few exam toy-related injuries were report ed to the CPSC between Janu ary 1987 and September 1988. No figures are available for the 1987 alone. The problem lies not in the lack of toy safety regulations, but rather in the manufacturer's willingness to follow the toy safety guidelines established by the federal government, said Anne Pavlich. CPSC public af fairs specialist. By monitoring the toys being produced and distributed, man ufacturers can decrease the number of cuts, bruises and scrapes suffered when children Police Beat The following is a list of campus-area crimes reported tt> tile Office of Public Safety and the Kugunu Police Department between Nov, 23 and Dec. 2: • A University student has been reported missing by his neighbor. Daniel Mark Stewart, 22. of 357 K. 17th Ave., was last seen Nov. 2 1. Anyone who has information about Stewart's whereabouts is asked to call Sgt. Mike Cline at OPS. 086-5444. • Unknown suspects poured soda drinks down an elevator shaft at Carson Hall Nov. 23. causing approximately $1,350 worth of damage to the eleva tor’s door-closing mechanism. The only traces of the sus pect's actions were two Big Culp cups left on the elevator's Looking for work? if in R PERFf.CT RESUMES Get your resume done professionally at Letter Perfect Graphics. 686-4381 300 Ert) Memorial Union •TYPESETTING*PASTE-UP» LAYOUT-DESIGN-CONSULTATION floor. • Gish totaling $115 was re portedly taken from a student’s wallet in Uoynton Hall between Nov. 27 and 2ti. • A moped belonging to a Uni versity student that had been reported stolen was recovered by OPS officers Nov. 2H. The moped was found around the corner from where it had been stolen at Caswell Dorm. • Residents of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. 1172 Kincaid St., reported to EPD that they received a bomb threat Nov. 2i). An unknown caller warned the residents a pipe bomb had been placed in their television room. The area was checked, and no explosive device was found. are hit by hilling toys and or thi; internal injuries caused by children's ingestion of small toy parts. Pavlich said. According to a toy safety questions and answers form re leased by the commission, in juries from bicycles, roller skates, sleds and skateboards make up most of the injuries suffered by children under the age of 13. Hut the large number of chil dren’s toys available on the market makes it impossible to carefully screen and approve each toy before its distribution, Pavlich said. With more than 150,000 toys on the market, she said, “we can't keep every dangerous toy off the market.” The lack of pre-market con trol exercised by the commis sion also adds to the increase of toy-related injuries. “Manufac turers do not have to clear their product with us,” Pavlich said. "Anyone can make a toy and put it out on the market, and we can only hope that it is safe.” The commission does, how ever. closely monitor manufac turers for violations of the “small parts” regulation, which attempts to eliminate all removable parts with a diam eter of 1.25 inches or less from toys marketed for use by very young children. Such toys are “deemed inap propriate for children under the • A coffee table valued at $400 was reported stolen from the University Inn second-floor lounge on Nov. 29. • The theft of a cassette player valued at $150 was reported to OPS Nov. 40. The item was re portedly stolen from an un locked room in Sheldon dorm. • Two males were cited and re leased for first-degree attempt ed theft after they were seen at tempting to steal bicycles near 15th Avenue and Agate Street Dec. 2. EPD. OPS officers confiscated bolt cutters, a hike light, wire cut ters and a used syringe from the suspects. • OPS reports eight bikes sto len and none recovered. Bosch Authorized Service • Gasoline Fuel Injection • Anti-Lock Brake Systems • Diesel Fuel Injection • Electrical Systems • Hybrid Ignition • Electronic Systems • Accessories Tune-ups • Brakes Japanese cars also 1917 Franklin Blvd. Eugene 485-8226 age of three," Pavlich said. But to determine the appropriate ness of a toy, she said that age labels to guide consumers need to be attached to the package. Currently, “it is not manda tory that manufacturers put a label on all their products,” Pavlich said. As a result, con sumers are unaware of the po tential hazards of various toys if given to the wrong age group — a problem often faced with imported toys or toys made by small businesses where quality control is not the primary con cern, she said. But the fight for stricter toy safety regulation continues. “Another Dangerous Dozen” is an attempt to increase public awareness of the problem, es pecially now that “people are buying large amounts of toys,” said Jon Stubenvcll. OSPiRG's consumer advocate. The annual survey, which was started in 1986, also is meant to help identify poten tially hazardous toys that need to be recalled from the market, Stubenvoll said. It also will be used to help group members pass regulations promoting toy safety. “Until more emphasis is placed on quality control, there will be no shortage of hazard ous toys on the market,” Stubenvoll said. VOLVO Owners Preventive Maintenance Special Alpine Import / /Serviced The VOLVO Specialists FREE SAFETY INSPECTION $1050 OIL CHANGE 4 cyl. includes oil & filter located at 12th & Main in Springfield Call 726-1808 for appointment ALL WORK GUARANTEED Now Selling Quality Used VOLVOS-747-WOO -UO-Bookstore GUARANTEED LOWEST Photo Processing Prices in Town! Featuring FUJI FILM — // ONE DAY SERVICE •IN BY 5:00 pm, BACK BY NOON •GUARANTEED QUALITY ■ 13th 4 Kmcatd I K |Mf? 30 5 30 SAT 10 00 5 00 BOOKSTORE 6864331