The Nation - News from Nov. 18, 1987

The government, warning death or injury awaits the children of unwary parents, listed lawn dart sets, certain skateboards and most crib toys as dangerous items that could destroy the joy of Christmas. In releasing its list of safe and unsafe toys, the Consumer Product Safety Commission also announced the completion of “Operation Toyland” in which commission officials and the U.S. Customs Service confiscated 70 shipments of toys from overseas, valued at more than $2.5 million, for safety violations. Lawn dart games, in which large, metal-tipped darts are tossed at targets laid out on the ground, top the list of dangerous items. The commission said lawn darts are for adults. Many crib toys are listed as dangerous because of incidents where babies became entangled in them and were strangled or suffocated. Skateboards should be purchased and used with care, said the commission, which reported 58,000 skateboard injuries last year. Commissioner Anne Graham also stressed the dangers to children of all-terrain vehicles.