Yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took a long overdue first step toward banning lead in children’s metal jewelry. We have known for decades that lead can cause permanent developmental damage in children or even death, so we commend the CPSC commissioners for voting to protect children from lead exposure by granting a Sierra Club petition calling for this ban.
In November, U.S. PIRG released its annual Trouble in Toyland report, where we showed just how easy it is to find children’s jewelry containing high levels of lead on store shelves. Our researchers found four items of children’s jewelry that contain lead levels ranging from 1.8 percent lead to 34 percent lead by weight. The CPSC voted to move forward with a ban on any children’s metal jewelry containing more than 0.06 percent lead by weight.
We look forward to working with the CPSC as it begins a lengthy rulemaking process to implement a ban on lead-laden children’s metal jewelry. The new regulations should guarantee the strongest possible safeguards for children’s health while allowing states to enact more protective standards.