Toy Association Exposes Dangers of Counterfeit Toys at Child Injury Prevention Conference

July 20, 2021 | As part of its ongoing efforts to expose the dangers of counterfeit toys lurking online, The Toy Association led a series of roundtable discussions at PrevCon, a virtually-held child injury prevention conference hosted by Safe Kids Worldwide last week. Participants included medical professionals, product safety specialists, and injury prevention advocates.

The Toy Association’s Joan Lawrence, senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs, moderated two roundtable discussions that tackled the mounting safety concerns posed by the wide range of counterfeit products offered to online shoppers. Common consumer products such as electronics and batteries, personal care products, auto parts, child car safety seats and toys were among those discussed; participants shared their concerns about the growing number of counterfeits available that may not comply with product safety standards and regulations.

Outcomes of the sessions included recommendations that advising consumers with actionable tips for spotting fakes and shopping smart online (like the tips found on The Toy Association’s PlaySafe.org website for families) were among the most effective ways combat the issue. A recommendation was also made to combine various resources on the topic to cover the range of counterfeit products of concern.  

“The great thing about PrevCon is we are able to speak directly with medical personnel and fellow safety specialists and advocates who work directly with children and families in their local communities – and can help us get the word out about the potential dangers of counterfeit products being sold online,” said Lawrence. “Safe Kids is in a unique position to do this and we value our collaboration with Safe Kids and its coalition partners over the years.”

The virtual conference brought together child injury prevention leaders and advocates from around the world to share new ideas and innovative approaches to reducing children’s injuries and fatalities from preventable accidents. Topics beyond consumer product safety ranged from pedestrian safety to sleep safety for infants, car seat safety, and more, which were covered in plenary sessions and workshops led by experts throughout the networking and educational event.

More information about The Toy Association’s safety advice for families can be found at www.PlaySafe.org.

Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries. Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the United States and with partners in more than 30 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more.