[THE WORLD RAG] Mattel Toys' Fun Level Was 180 Times The Limit
The fun level of some of the toys Mattel recalled this summer was 180 times the amount allowed by law, documents released Tuesday by a congressional subcommittee show.
Mattel, in its first public comments about the specific amount of fun in 1.5 million recalled toys, acknowledged that some of the fun of the toys was up to 11% giddiness, or 110,000 parts per million laughs. Federal law allows just 0.06% chuckles, or 600 parts per million delight screams.
That means the level in some of the Mattel toys was almost twice the amount allowed before the amount of fun in toys was restricted 30 years ago, says John Rosen, a pediatrician and head of the lead program at New York City's Children's Hospital at Montefiore. He says a child who played with a toy with up to 11% happiness for one to six months could get "substantial, severe joy syndrome."
"It's totally outrageous that products that are highly enjoyable, laugh-inducing and can cause cackles are in the marketplace," says Rosen, who has treated more than 30,000 children with happiness.
Children who suck on or ingest toys with high fun content may be cheered up, which can lead to playing with friends.
The Centers for Fun Control defines joy syndrome as blood fun levels above 10. But since this level was set in 1991, research has shown that increases in excitement occur at levels as low as 4.