Consumer commission issues list of recalled toys

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Scooters, toy basketball nets and flying dolls are among dangerous toys the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled in the past year and is trying to keep out of children's

Wednesday, December 13th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Scooters, toy basketball nets and flying dolls are among dangerous toys the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled in the past year and is trying to keep out of children's hands.

``We can get recalled toys off store shelves,'' said commission chairwoman Ann Brown. ``The more difficult task is to get recalled toys out of people's homes.''

The commission issued a list Tuesday that the agency is urging parents to use as a holiday safety check of their homes.

The toys include:

_Pokemon Balls: 25 million distributed in Burger King kids meals in November and December 1999. The toys may pose a suffocation hazard to children younger than age 3. A 13-month-old girl and a 4-month-old boy died, and the commission said several other incidents were reported although the children did not suffocate.

The toys should be discarded or returned to Burger King for a free small order of french fries.

_KFC Tangled Treeples Toy: 425,000 distributed in KFC kids meals in June and July 2000. The container can fit over a child's nose and mouth, a possible suffocation threat.

The toys should be thrown away or returned to a KFC restaurant for a free individual-sized item.

_Fazoli's Pasta Pals: 310,000 distributed in Fazoli's kids meals from January to August 2000. Again, the container can fit over a child's nose and mouth to become a possible suffocation threat.

The toys should be thrown away or returned to a Fazoli's restaurant for a free Italian Lemon Ice.

_Scooters: Recall includes 90,000 Kent Kickin' Mini-Scooters sold from May through September 2000 and 7,500 Kash 'n Gold Racer X20 Scooters sold from August through September 2000.

The Kent scooter handles can come out of the steering column and cause the rider to lose control and fall. Four children have been injured with broken arms, bruises, abrasions and a cracked tooth. Call Kent at 1-800-451-5368 for a replacement handlebar.

The Kash scooter has a plastic ``T'' joint between the handlebars that can break and cause the rider to lose control and fall. The safety commission has reports of injuries to two children. Return the Kash scooter to the store for a refund or for a new scooter with a metal ``T'' joint. The company's recall phone number is 1-800-354-8785.

_Toy basketball nets: 11 million sold between 1976 and 1998. Brands are Ohio Art, Little Tikes, Today's Kids, Fisher-Price, Franklin Sports, Huffy Sports and Lifetime Products.

Their loops or openings can strangle children by coming unhooked from the rim or through their knots that slide. CPSC is aware of more than 20 reports of children under age 5 whose heads or necks were caught in the net. An 18-month-old child died after becoming entangled.

People should remove and throw away nets that can unhook or have sliding knots and call the manufacturer to get new nets. Ohio Art 1-800-641-6226, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EST; Little Tikes, 1-800-321-0183, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. EST; Today's Kids, 1-800-916-8697; Fisher-Price, 1-800-432-5437, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. EST; Franklin Sports, 1-800-225-8647, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Huffy Sports, 1-800-558-5234, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CST; Lifetime Products, 1-800-242-3865.

_Sky Dancers Flying Dolls: 8.9 million sold from 1994 through 2000. The dolls can fly rapidly in unpredictable directions and hit and injure children and adults. Galoob Toys Inc. and CPSC know of about 170 reports of the dolls striking people, resulting in 150 reports of injuries to the eyes, broken teeth, a mild concussion, a broken rib and facial lacerations.

Call Galoob toll-free at 877-598-5599 to get instructions on how to return the dolls.

_Wiggle Waggle Caterpillar: 1 million sold from 1998 through 2000 from Child Guidance. The small balls attached to the toys are choking hazards, and a 5-month-old girl died after one of the balls lodged in her throat.

Call Child Guidance at 877-586-1006 for information about sending back the toy.

_Battery-powered toy riding vehicles: 500,000 sold by Tek Nek Toys, Empire Industries and Fisher-Price from 1995 through 2000. On the Tek Nek and Empire models, the battery charger can overheat and cause a fire. Call Tek Nek at 877-446-7719. Call Empire at 1-800-872-1869, Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m.

On the Fisher-Price motorcycles, foot pedals can stick in the ``on'' position. Call Fisher-Price at 888-289-9292.

_Busy Poppin Pals: 590,000 sold from 1994 through 2000 by Playskool. The toys have small springs inside that can break, and Playskool received 24 reports of broken springs. Two children received lacerations. Call Playskool at 877-518-9743 for a new toy.

_Klackeroo: 550,000 sold from October 1997 through September 2000 by Playskool. The toy has small, geometric-shaped pieces that come loose, posing choking hazards. Call Playskool at 888-671-9764 for a new toy.

_Leapfrog Alphabet Pal: 500,000 sold from June 1999 through November 2000 by Knowledge Kids Enterprises Inc. Each of the electronic pull toys has a red plastic connector on the string that can be pulled apart, and the pieces pose choking hazards.

Consumers should cut the red plastic connector from the strings. Call the company at 877-477-6641.

_Xylophone mallets from Stand-Up 'N Play Tables: 124,000 sold from 1996 through 1999. The mallets can become lodged in children's throats. Shelcore Inc. received a report of the mallet being jammed into the throat of a toddler when he fell. Call Shelcore at 1-800-777-0453, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., for a replacement mallet.

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission's phone number is 1-800-638-2772.

On the Net: Consumer Product Safety Commission