October 24, 2007
Consumer safety experts are warning parents to keep safety in mind when shopping for costumes this Halloween and to watch out for masks that may contain dangerous levels of lead and for costumes that may be flammable or hard to see at night.
Safety experts agree that the danger of lead in masks is minimal, but urge parents to still be cautious.
Safe Kids USA, a nonprofit that aims to keep children safe from dangerous products, spot-tested a few masks in the past and didn't find any lead on the inside, close to the where the mouth could come in contact, Alan Korn, director of public policy at the organization said.
The Center for Environmental Health, a nonprofit that fights to keep Americans safe from toxins found in everyday products, also spot-tested some masks and did find lead, but relatively low levels, spokesman Charles Margulis said.
ConsumerAffairs.com checked the masks at a local drug store and found that all 10 the store had available were products of China. But experts aren't concerned because, they're very short-lived, Korn said of masks. They're usually worn once for no more than an hour and not even fully for that hour.
Because of the lack of chronic exposure, Margulis agreed that masks are not a major concern, but suggested that worried parents perform a home lead test on any soft plastic or vinyl masks.
We find those tests to be pretty accurate, Margulis said. The staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on the other hand, issued a warning earlier this week that the tests are unreliable.
Parents should encourage their children to wear face paint instead of masks, Korn said. Not only would that eliminate lead fears, but more importantly, get rid of a potentially cumbersome mask that can hamper vision.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has never recalled a Halloween mask, said agency spokesman Scott Wolfson. But two Halloween accessories this year have been recalled because of dangerous levels of lead. Dollar General recalled 63,000 Frankenstein mugs and Albert's recalled 55,000 skull-shaped pails.
Wolfson said the greater concern is the flammability of costumes.
Last year Family Dollar recalled 120,000 Creepy Capes because they could easily ignite and in 2001 Disney recalled 54,000 Little Mermaid costumes after a four-year-old girl suffered burns.
When purchasing costumes, masks, beards and wigs, look for flame-resistant fabrics such as nylon or polyester, or look for the label "Flame Resistant," according to the agency's website.
Flame-resistant fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish quickly. To minimize the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.
Experts warn that cars are far more dangerous to children on Halloween than lead levels in masks or flammable costumes.
By far, the most dangerous thing on Halloween is pedestrian safety, Korn said. Children are four times more likely to be killed on Halloween because of a car/pedestrian incident than any other night of the year.
Korn suggested that when selecting a costume, include:
• Light colors that can be easily seen at night;
• Retro reflective material; and
• A flashlight so that trick or treaters can see and be seen
He also said it's important for adults to slow down while driving.
It is the only night of the year in which every adult you know and every child you know will be doing the exact same thing heading to the roads, Korn said. Parents coming home from rush hour or regular commuting traffic and kids excited to get out there and do their trick or treating.
More safety tips are available on Safe Kids USA's Web site.
