Producing safe toys

Manufacturing safe toys
Creating safe toys

Implementation

In 1999, the European Commission decided to ban the sale of toys containing phthalates, which can have harmful effects once mixed with saliva ad swallowed by children.

Claim

In order to warn the parents, manufacturers of toys should be required to put a warning label even on those toys made from soft PVC and containing phthalates which are not intended to be put in the mouth, since children may well do so as they explore their world.

Counter-claim

Producing safe toys is an exaggerated concern that distracts from more pressing issues. Children have played with various materials for centuries without the constant fear of danger. Overregulation stifles creativity and innovation in toy design. Parents should take personal responsibility for monitoring their children's play rather than relying on manufacturers to create "perfectly safe" products. The focus should be on fostering resilience and problem-solving skills in children, not on overprotecting them from every potential hazard.