The Indian government recently banned the import of Chinese toys for six months. This was meant to protect children in our country from Chinese toys that allegedly contain high levels of poisonous substances like lead. But are toys made in India safer for our children? Not really, say experts.

Studies conducted by consumer groups from time to time have shown that several kinds of toys flooding our markets contain dangerously high levels of toxic metals like lead and cadmium that can wreak havoc on a child’s health.

As per a 2006-2007 report released by Toxics Link, a Delhi-based non-governmental organisation, alarming levels of lead and cadmium were found in soft PVC (plastic) as well as non-PVC toys in Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. The report states: “Lead and cadmium are known poisons… No level of lead in the blood is safe or normal. The disturbing fact is that exposure to extremely small amounts can have long-term and measurable effects in children while at the same time causing no distinctive symptoms.”

Says Abhay Kumar, senior programme officer, chemicals and health, Toxics Link, “What’s the point of banning Chinese toys when we continue to let locally-made toxic toys flood our markets?”

But there are signs that the government is waking up to the danger of toxic toys. Admitting that there’s an absence of mandatory toy safety standards, Ashwini Kumar, minister of state for industry, told Parliament last week that a committee of secretaries has been set up to examine the problem and issue a notification of mandatory standards for toys.

According to Toxics Link’s report, the toy manufacturing industry is dominated by the unorganised sector. Also, soft toys, mostly made of PVC, account for 35 per cent of India’s total production of toys. “In our report, we called for fixing mandatory total concentration of some metals in toys and having protocols for lab tests. We sent our report to all government departments concerned. Officials said most of these toxic toys are Chinese imports. Nothing has happened so far,” says Kumar.

Consumer groups like the Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC) say that there should be zero tolerance on lead in toys, locally manufactured or otherwise. In fact, CERC conducted a study last year showing that traces of toxic metals like lead and cadmium can also be found in substances meant for infants such as teethers, pacifiers and nipples. “In our report, we suggested that infant toys be treated as a separate category. Nipples stay in a child’s mouth for a long period of time which can pose a health risk,” says Preeti Shah, director, CERC.

Shah reveals that following the publication of the CERC report, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recently convened a meeting to discuss the issue of making separate standards for infant toys. “So we hope something will be done,” she says.

Doctors too confirm that unless strict standards are adhered to, toys can have a harmful effect on children. “Most toys are coloured. And colours contain lead. Poisonous substances like lead and cadmium can affect the bone marrow and the nervous system. They can have a toxic effect on the liver as well. Most children have the habit of sucking or chewing plastic toys. This can lead to various kinds of diseases,” says Calcutta-based paediatrician Dr Apurva Ghosh.

BIS does have certain standards for children’s toys — those dealing with safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties, and flammability requirements. It also lays down the maximum permissible limit of migratory lead, cadmium and chromium in children’s toys. But consumer groups assert that not a single manufacturer in India follows these standards.

In Europe and the US, where toy guidelines cover a wider range of safety issues, the standards are mandatory for both manufacturers and traders, say consumer activists.

“For instance, in the US, there are guidelines for electrical or magnetic toys. Here we don’t have guidelines covering those areas. Also, BIS deals with limits on migrated metal content (the amount that gets transferred from a toy to the child’s body), and not with the total metal content in a toy. The US recently reduced the total permissible lead content in toys from 600 ppm (parts per million) to 300 ppm,” reveals Kumar of Toxics Link.

Toy manufacturers and traders feel that the onus is on consumers to make sure that their children’s toys are safe and come with the ISI mark.

“Toys are just like any other product. So consumers need to exercise caution while buying them,” says Raj Kumar, president, Toy Association of India, an organisation comprising Indian toy manufacturers and traders.

Mattel, one of the world’s leading toy makers, says it follows local as well as global standards. “We market our toys all over the world. We also clearly mention safety standards on our products. If you buy Barbie dolls or Hot Wheels in India, they will be the same as the products that are marketed in, say, the UK,” says Rahul Bhaumik, head, marketing, Mattel, India.

Legal experts say that consumers can take action against manufacturers or traders dealing in toys containing hazardous materials. “Toys containing high levels of toxic substances can be called an environmental hazard. The steps needed to combat this menace fall under the Environment Protection Act. Moreover, protection of our children is a constitutional right,” says Gitanath Ganguly, executive chairman, Legal Aid Services, West Bengal. “Consumers can approach bodies such as the Pollution Control Board. Consumer courts can also be approached.”

One hopes, however, that with the government having initiated an effort to formulate mandatory safety standards for toys, Indian children will no longer be exposed to hazardous playthings.