Kids' Products With Banned Plastics Still on Shelves

Buyers beware. "A new federal ban on the use of the controversial chemical phthalate in teethers, pacifiers and other children's products won't apply to goods already in warehouses or on store shelves," the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said on 11/18. Under the decision, "it will be illegal to sell products made after the ban takes effect Feb. 10 that contain certain types of phthalates, chemicals used in soft plastic that have been linked to reproductive problems." The ban, which was passed in August as part of a landmark product safety law, is supposed to remain in effect until a panel completes a scientific review of the chemical. According to consumer advocates and some insiders, however, the "decision violates the intent of the law." Consumer advocates also claim that the decision will lead to confusion for consumers. "How will parents know whether the rubber ducky they're buying was made today and not in March?" Read more.