Holiday items' lead warnings are getting more notice.
The culprits are plastic coatings used in everything from wire insulation to Christmas wreaths (lead has been used for decades as a PVC stabilizer to extend life)
label advises to wash hands every time handled... because the product contains lead that causes birth defects and cancer.
"It didn't say 'may' or 'could.' It said 'does' and 'will,' " recalled the 39-year-old mother of two who immediately imagined her 3-year-son sticking his hand in his mouth after touching the cord. "Why are they still selling this if it contains lead?" As far as Elm's wreath, meets government standards."We believe there is no health hazard, but we label in conformance with California law because of the efficiencies of uniformity in printing packaging nationwide,"
California voters approved Proposition 65 in 1986. It requires a warning on any product with enough lead or toxic ingredients to cause cancer or birth defects. The law, however, is mostly enforced by private attorneys who test the products, then sue for the lack of a label. Critics complain the tactics spawned an industry of bounty-hunting lawyers. Public-interest groups laud the law as a form of advocacy that replaces lax government agencies without costing the taxpayers. Companies complain about being held to stricter standards than federal law.
Most big retailers have been on the hit list with Prop 65 allegations on everything from toys to hair drier cords.
The California threshold for a warning label is 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood. A swipe of the cord left 0.5 micrograms.
"An adult will wash their hands, but a child sees decorations as so mystical they can't keep their hands off," he said. "Then they put their fingers in their mouth."