Angelo Elia
Biz/Tech Reporter

Health Canada has said incidents involving toxic toys are on the rise, and one Humber student remembers  his experience with such a toy.
Business student, Aman Josson, said his younger cousin was hospitalized after he used a contaminated pacifier.
“He got it in his mouth and was in the hospital for over two months,” he said. “They (parents) got money back but didn’t win the case. However, they got reimbursed and many pacifiers were sent back to the company.”
Health Canada Product Safety spokesperson Paul Spendlove said incidents involving toxic toys have increased over the past year.
“As of the end of November, there were 62 toy recalls in 2008, and there were 42 toy recalls in (all of) 2007,” Spendlove said.
He said it is up to the manufacturers to make sure toxic toys are not released. “It is the responsibility of the industry to ensure that the products they import, sell or advertise meet the requirements of the Hazardous Products Act and don’t present an undue risk to the public,” Spendlove said.
Health Canada uses various techniques to detect toxic toys.
“Health Canada is actively involved in injury prevention by testing and conducting research on consumer products, enforcing legislation by investigations, providing importers and manufacturers with hazard information and by publishing product warnings and recalls,” said Spendlove.
Health Canada has the ability to take action against manufacturers and retailers who don’t cooperate with them.
“A range of enforcement actions, including voluntary measures to seizure and public warnings, are available for use when appropriate,” said Spendlove.
Early childhood education professor Theresa Steger said the individuals who are responsible for keeping toxic toys off the selves are creating risks for families.
“It’s the responsibility of toy regulators in Canada in terms of importing things that are toxic, and stores owners where they obtain materials, and whether they meet safety standards or not,” Steger said.
 “Families have a level of trust in our government system to help protect them, but that doesn’t always happen.”
Steger said one cause of the outbreak of toxic toys is cutting corners.
“I think that toy manufacturing is a money-making production, so companies look for ways to cut the costs.”
She said store owners are legally responsible if they know they are carrying toxic toys. “If they know that they’re toxic and sell them to customers, they’re liable for that.”
      Business student Puga Patel said toxic toys are a risk to children and parents. “That’s bad because kids want to have certain products for Christmas and it’s upsetting because the kids can’t get what they want.”