NEW PALTZ – As Black Friday approaches next week as one of the biggest shopping days of the season, the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) is advising parents and other gift-givers about some of the dangers of buying toys.
“It’s just not parents buying toys for their children. A lot of relatives are buying toys for children,” said Eric Wood, an educator for NYPIRG. “When you have other people buying for you, there’s a lot of things to look for.”
Wood and some students made a presentation Thursday at SUNY New Paltz, and some of the dangers include small pieces which are a choking hazard, toxins and noise hazards.
“Currently there are some products such a slime that have high levels of borax, lead and cadmium,” said Kelly Nolan, a SUNY New Paltz student who helped research these holiday hazards. “And they are all potentially fatal to young infants.”
Even balloons, which have not been inflated or are cut into pieces, can become choking hazards for small children.
