PennPIRG’s Trouble in Toyland report exposes risks of counterfeit and other dangerous toys

With tight budgets and supply chain issues making products scarce, it could be hard for Santa to get your kids the things they want this year — but some knock-off toys could be a deadly choice. PennPIRG Education Fund’s 36th annual Trouble in Toyland report released on Thursday shows that counterfeit or recalled products are still finding their way under the Christmas tree and offers tips on how to spot the fakes.

“The handful of greedy Grinches who are putting children at risk to put more money in their pockets have hearts two sizes too small,” Emma Horst-Martz, an advocate with the PennPIRG Education Fund, said in a press release. “We need a concerted effort by federal regulators and toy vendors to keep dangerous toys off the market. And, while it’s not fair that gift buyers need to keep an eye out for these counterfeit or recalled items, because of some bad actors, all of us need to do so.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled 13 toys this year that include high levels of lead, potential ingestion by a child, and small parts from easily broken toys. The CPSC estimated that there were 198,000 toy-related injuries treated at emergency rooms in 2020.