IMPORTANT WARNING: Keep your kids away from vending machine jewelry! Lead risk!

[The Laughing Man]

I just saw a news report about those quarter vending machines that dispense those bubble containers. Testing has shown that some of the jewelry from these machines contains alarming amounts of lead that can and does leech from the items. One little boy swallowed the pendant from a necklace and he was seriously poisoned! The U.S. government has left testing up of the items to the companies that distribute them (which are imported from countries with little to no manufacturing regulations), but the companies apparently have been lax, so the government is now conducting their own investigation.

[elysian]

Somehow this doesn't surprise me. Swallowing stuff is not unusual for kids. The only reason my kid didn't get the annoying habit of putting money in his mouth was because one day we were out walking (he was about three) and he spotted a shiny edge of a quarter- the rest of the quarter however was firmly lodged in a rather large, rather odiferous dog turd. This was a wonderful teaching moment.

"Stephan, do you see why Mommy tells you not to put money in your mouth?"

"Uh-huh."

"You really don't know where it's been."

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[The Laughing Man]

Yeah, no kidding! Of course, even casual handling of these toys can be hazardous as they aren't sealed well enough to prevent the lead from leeching out.

Note: CBS Evening News is running the story tonight.