The AP (1/13) reported that CPSC chairman Inez Tenenbaum “issued an unprecedented warning Wednesday to parents: Don’t give your children cheap metal jewelry. And if they already have some, toss it because it could contain hazardous levels of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.” Although “it did not carry the force of law, the announcement Wednesday was far bigger than a recall in scope: Instead of going after one particular item, the CPSC targeted an entire industry.”
In a separate article, the AP (1/13) reported, “Reports of high cadmium content in children’s jewelry imported from China have prompted a senior U.S. senator to press for legislation that would ban the toxic heavy metal as a hazardous substance from those products and toys. New York Democrat Charles E. Schumer was to present details of his proposal Wednesday. It is the first specific legislative fix promised by a member of Congress following an Associated Press investigation that documented high levels of cadmium in jewelry bought at major chain stores in the United States.” Said Schumer, “It’s time to get this toxic metal out of children’s jewelry and toys and keep it out.”
From the American Association for Justice news release.
