Consumer Dangers, Hazards and Menaces
Elisabeth Leamy points out the consumer warnings to take seriously.
Aug. 6, 2007 — -- As a consumer correspondent, I often bring you stories of dangerous products and hazardous situations. This summer alone I've covered recalled beef, tainted toothpaste, skateboard injuries, barbecue grill fires, bacteria in beach waters and trampoline dangers.
And this week I would have brought you stories about laser printers emitting tiny particles that can lodge in your lungs and the presence of toxic lead in beloved toys like certain Dora the Explorer, Elmo and SpongeBob figures. Those last two stories were only pushed out of the headlines because of a more sudden and dramatic threat: collapsing bridges.
With all this doom and gloom, I often worry our viewers and readers will go numb and tune out safety advice. After all, that's why parables like "The boy who cried wolf" and "Chicken Little" have enduring meaning. A constant clamor of alerts and warnings can have the effect of making no single message stand out. So I'm going to single one out for you: lead. More on that in a moment.
As you go about your life, many hazards are theoretical and others mostly affect certain subsets of people. For example, a person in robust health doesn't have to worry as much about contaminated beach water as somebody with a weakened immune system and open cuts or wounds. So if you're in that subset, stay out of the water, and if you're not, just heed beach closings and you should be fine. It's simple.
As for the new study out this week about laser printers, it showed that they do emit ultrafine particles that could lodge in your lungs. But the researchers didn't test what those particles are made of and whether they're truly harmful. They called for further research. In the meantime, there's no need to panic. Just place your printers in a well-ventilated area and go get a cup of coffee instead of standing over them if you're doing a big print job.
But when it comes to lead in children's toys, we know it is a devastating toxin that stunts intelligence, causes lifelong irritability and can kill in potent doses. The effect is not theoretical. And it doesn't impact certain children more than others. Lead is poisonous to children (and adults). Period.
So if you're a parent and you're going to respond to one of the many safety alerts you hear, this is it.
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