Government says all toxic toys have been withdrawn

By Athena Karsera

THE COMMERCE Ministry yesterday assured consumers that all toxic plastic toys and teething rings had been withdrawn from the market, while the Green Party urged the government to publish a list of offending toys.

According to an announcement from the Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Industry yesterday, “Cyprus acted ahead of both the European Union and the United States in prohibiting chewable plastic goods containing phthalate (a softening substance linked to cancer). Chewable goods on the market today do not contain phthalate.”

The announcement continued that the United States had not yet banned any toys, while the EU had issued a temporary ban one month after Cyprus’ action.

The announcement also said that babies’ dummies available on the Cyprus market had certificates from their manufacturers testifying to their safety, while the Government laboratory was in the process of carrying out independent tests.

The Ministry added it had no intention of revealing the names of importers and said that the Greens’ insistence was “unseemly and unethical.”

The Head of the Consumer Protection Service, George Mitides, said yesterday the issue had been misunderstood.

“The EU and the USA came to the conclusion that none of these toys (remaining on the market) are dangerous for children… Our laws are the same as the EU laws, we cannot make decisions different to those taken by Europe.”

The Greens yesterday called for the publication of the results of Government Laboratory tests on the toys, carried out over the last 10 months.

The head of the Government Laboratories, Dina Angelidou, yesterday appeared to back the Greens’ call: “Based on what happened in 1999, there is enough information on the goods that are circulating for them to be withdrawn and for the public to be informed.

“I am certain that for the consumers to be properly protected, they should be informed, because it is difficult to withdraw all the dangerous toys, especially in remote areas, and so that toys already purchased can be thrown away.”

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