WHEN A CHILD'S TOY BECOMES SOMETHING MORE...

It had been another hectic day and after standing in a long winding queue for over an hour, grabbing that last trotro seat felt really good. Fifteen minutes into the journey and we were stuck in traffic - nothing surprising if you live in Accra, and the street hawkers took charge from that point. One of these hawkers was selling a plastic doll holding a ball that bobbed when wound up. Sitting next to me was a young lady with a baby girl and the sight of the bobbing doll attracted the attention of the child whose doting mum decided to buy her one, unwrapped it and gave it to her. After playing for a while the toy made its way into the mouth of this infant. The baby’s antics with her new toy amused me. I just watched her play, smiling to myself until nosey me picked up the wrapping that came with the toy and noticed “made in China”.

Children’s toys or playthings are made from a varied number of materials including PVC (polyvinyl chloride), nylon, polyester wood etc.  However in recent times it has been found that some of these toys are manufactured with lead paintings which far exceed the acceptable limit. Furthermore, PVCs contain plasticizers like phthalates (this is what makes PVCs softer and flexible in making toys) which have been found to be carcinogenic (ie cancer causing substance).

Now, the influx of sub-standard products especially from China has been of great concern to me more especially toys made for children - the sort of materials used in manufacturing them, safety precautions etc. You are bound to encounter these toys wherever you go in the city – from them being thrust into your face on the streets of Makola to the comfort of your car when stuck in traffic.

Lead-poisoning is a very serious medical condition which can lead to liver and brain damages with the damage sometimes irreversible. By just licking on a toy produced with lead painting, dangerous quantities are ingested by the child whose side effects will manifest with time.

In Europe and the US, toys manufactured and or imported from China are subjected to stricter tests for the presence of these substances of which they must pass before they can be allowed on their market. China on the other hand produces lots of toys due to their cheap labor and lax regulations on quality control.

We cannot decide on how China chooses to produce their goods in their country; but as our country has become one of their biggest consumers I’m concerned as to whether we’ve put in place quality control measures to ensure toys produced with any of these harmful substances do not find their way into our markets.  And if we do have these regulations, are they strictly enforced and adhered to?  How safe are the toys we buy for our children? Are there ways for us the consumers to verify whether they are lead safe or not? So many questions run through my mind and looking at the rate at which made in China goods flood our market I do have a bad feeling my worst fears might be happening.

As I watched this innocent baby continue to play with her toy, my tummy squirmed anytime she placed it in her mouth.  Innocently the mother bought a simple, harmless toy for her child. But if only she knew what more could be present in that perceived “harmless object”. . .