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Despite Improvements, there is still “Trouble in Toyland”

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The annual “Trouble in Toyland” report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group shows there are still toxic toys on the shelves, despite improvements.   

PennPIRG program associate Alana Miller says when they started doing the report 26 years ago,   hazardous toys littered the shelves.  Every year, they find fewer and fewer that pose such hazards. 

However, Miller says there are still dangerous toys being sold, including ones  that violate lead limits, toys that pose choking hazards for small children, toys with unacceptable noise levels and toys with high levels of phthalates.  She adds choking on small parts, balls and balloon pieces continues to be the leading cause of children’s deaths from playing with toys.

Miller says any toy that would fit inside an empty toilet paper roll is too small for a child under three.

Miller says they found a little toddler book with lead at levels of 720 parts per million, which is more than twice the current limit.  She adds it’s 10 times the limit recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  She says because many parents wouldn’t even think to check the lead content of a book, that’s why it’s important to have oversight of regulations so kids aren’t getting sick from books. She says parents can find toy incident reports and recall notices at saferproducts.gov.

You can get the full list of problems found during the annual “Trouble in Toyland” survey at pennpirg.org/report. You can also use the mobile site, toysafety.mobi to report unsafe toys or learn more about the report.

PennPIRG Report Encourages Pennsylvania to Create Its Own Health Exchange

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A nationwide study of   health exchanges being set up under the federal health care reform law says Pennsylvania should act to create a new insurance marketplace.   

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department is still deciding  if the state will design its own health exchange, or leave it up to one managed by the  federal government.  The Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group has issued a report saying the state should get going on its own exchange.

Alana Miller, program associate for PennPIRG, says having our own exchange gives us the ability to analyze what we want and what makes sense for Pennsylvania.  She says the exchanges offer states a chance to address the problems of cost and quality.  She adds they help consumers get a fair shake when they’re buying insurance.

Miller says not all exchanges are created equal. She says a strong exchange should be protected from insurance industry influence and negotiate with insurers for better rates.  She says that would help consumers in the long run with better quality care and lower costs. 

Miller says an exchange would give easy to use tools and comparisons for consumers when they’re choosing between plans.  She believes a state developed exchange gives Pennsylvania the ability to analyze what we want in our own plan and what makes sense for Pennsylvanians.

Miller says health exchanges are competitive marketplaces that can empower individuals and small businesses with better and more affordable options for coverage.  She says many other states are already developing their own exchanges, which need to be operating by 2014.

New Report says More than One-Quarter of Bridges In Pennsylvania Are Deficient

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A report from the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group says its analysis shows the state has the highest percentage of deficient bridges in the country. Breaking down county-by county data, PennPIRG says it finds that over 26% of the state’s bridges are rated structurally deficient by government standards.

Program Associate Alana Miller says bridges should be a top priority as Pennsylvania looks for ways to fund transportation projects.

 Miller says some deficient bridges have weight or travel restrictions, leading to more traffic congestion. She says we’ve been putting off maintenance, and highway builders have been lobbying for wider roads or more highways when we need to focus on problems that need to be fixed right now.

Miller says fixing what we have will save money, improve safety and create jobs.  She says it will give us the most out of our transportation dollars.

Miller says Pennsylvania needs to focus on “fix it first”.  She says in 2008, the state needed to spend 7.8 billion dollars to bring all of its bridges into good repair.  She says the state only spent less than half a billion dollars.  She thinks that’s a good example of how Pennsylvania is prioritizing what it’s doing.