Toy Safety Awareness Month: Media Updates

November 22, 2022 | With the second annual Toy Safety Awareness Month well underway, The Toy Association has been speaking out about the toy community’s commitment to product safety and sharing safe shopping tips with families.

Last week, Joan Lawrence, The Toy Association’s “Toy Safety Mom” and senior vice president of standards & regulatory affairs, participated in U.S. PIRG’s web conference upon the release of the organization’s annual toy safety report. Lawrence spoke alongside Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric, an emergency medicine pediatrician, and others. She shared the toy industry’s long-standing commitment to safety, The Toy Association’s ongoing advocacy for congressional action against counterfeits, and safety advice for families.

While The Toy Association agrees with PIRG on the issue of dangerous counterfeit toys proliferating online, the organization nonetheless continues to make misleading statements regarding toys, and The Toy Association has issued a media statement that publicly refutes their claims. Similarly, The Toy Association refuted W.A.T.C.H.’s claims following the release of that group’s report, calling W.A.T.C.H.’s credibility into question and pointing out the various falsehoods contained in the report. A full recap of The Toy Association’s efforts to fight back against erroneous claims about toy safety will be shared with members after Thanksgiving.

On November 10 and November 21, Lawrence appeared on Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend and ABC 15 Sonoran Living in Phoenix, reaching millions of viewers with tips for avoiding unsafe counterfeit toys this holiday season. She outlined the differences between a safe, legitimate product (in this case, Crazy Aaron’s magnetic putty, which complies with all standards and is appropriately age labeled) and a dangerous counterfeit version of that product (which does not comply with strict federal safety laws and contains a powerful magnet small enough to be swallowed). Each segment was also picked up by Yahoo! and reached a total audience of more than 400 million viewers.

Toy Safety Awareness Month will continue through the end of November; any individual or company that wishes to be an advocate for safe play is encouraged to get involved. The Toy Association’s safety content can be shared using #ToySafetyAwarenessMonth and #PlaySafe. A different aspect of toy safety is being highlighted each week. Be sure to follow the latest updates on Facebook (@TheToyAssociation), LinkedIn (The Toy Association), and Twitter (@TheToyAssoc).