A new warning from a nonprofit organization says some fidget spinners sold at Target stores contain high levels of lead.
CBS News reported that the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund said it found two models of fidget spinners sold at Target that "contained high levels of lead."
U.S. PIRG Education Fund says it alerted the retailer and the distributor of the product, Bulls I Toy, to its findings. According to the organization, neither addressed the problem.
“The toxic fidget spinners are still available both in toy aisles at Target stores and on its website,” the organization said. “Incredibly, Target and Bulls i Toy defend their inaction by pointing to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) declaration that fidget spinners are not technically ‘children’s products’ subject to legal limits for lead.
“We advise parents to remove the two fidget spinners that we identified from children’s use and join us in calling on Target to immediately recall them.
According to The Washington Post, the consumer advocacy group says Bulls i Toy's Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Brass and Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Metal were found to have 33,000 parts per million for lead and 1,300 parts per million for lead, respectively. The federal limit for the amount of lead in children's products is 100 parts per million.
The CPSC said choking incidents involving children up to age 14 have been reported and that the spinners should be kept away from all children under 3. No children should but the spinners or small pieces in their mouths and should play with them away from their faces, the CPSC said.
"If a fidget spinner is marketed and is primarily intended for children 12 years of age and younger, companies must certify that their product meets toy safety and other standards, including limits for phthalates, lead content, and lead in paint, if applicable, and the U.S Toy Standard, ASTM F963-16," CPSC acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle said in an Aug. 10, 2017 statement on fidget spinners.
Because the spinners in question are marketed for children over the age of 14, however, the CPSC’s restrictions don’t seem to apply.
"The two fidget spinners cited are clearly marked on the package as 'appropriate for customers ages 14 and older,' and are not marketed to children," a Target spokesman said in an email to the Post. "As a result, the fidget spinners identified are not regulated as toys or children's products and are not required to meet children's product standards."
On the Target website, however, the product details for the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Brass reads, "framed as a toy, the fidget spinner is also a great stress-relief tool or place to exert excess energy rather than biting your nails or clicking a pen."
The U.S. PIRG said it sent representatives to five Target stores across the country who found the spinners being sold in the toy department, according to The Washington Post.
According to the advocacy group, parents who have the spinners should stop using them immediately and place them in a bag out of children’s reach. They should also be watching out for any recall notices about the spinners.
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