These books are bad for you!
Are emergency rooms overflowing with children suffering from lead poisoning after sucking on book covers? Have kids been reading so much that high contents of lead have seeped into the skin on their fingers?
Why this?
I remember a very unfortunate incident recently where a child swallowed a charm from a necklace they’d gotten out of a machine and the charm was made in China (I believe) and had a high lead content. The safety and quality of imported goods should be a concern. But I thought it was already.
Without laws that look out for the safety of our children we would still have children getting their heads caught between slats in cribs or we’d have seven year olds working in sweatshops. Children would become projectiles during car accidents flying unhindered through the car upon impact. Wait a minute, you used to get sick after gnawing on the windowsill because of the lead paint but there are laws preventing the use of paint with a high lead content and you can now gnaw all you want. Many laws are effective. Laws have improved our quality of life and our life expectancy.
But some laws go to far. To set a magic date by which all items offered up to children must be accompanied by a certificate, even the treasured 1st edition of C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia or the bazillions of Potter books on new and used bookstore and library shelves, well that is a ridiculous expectation.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 is overwritten. The onus of proof is tedious and expensive. If enforced, this law will force many businesses to close. The idea of keeping our children safe and healthy is blessedly important but not at the livelihood of the parents of these children.
Surely CPSIA of ’08 is being sensationalized-you cry! Well, read it and decide for yourself.