SQUEEZE PUT ON SQUISHIES
CONSUMER advocate groups are calling for tougher safety measures after a Danish study found hazardous levels of dangerous chemicals in a popular kids toy.
Primary-school aged kids are going gaga for the brightly-coloured soft-foam toys called Squishies but the fad toy has now been banned in Denmark, after the country’s Environmental Protection Agency linked them to cancer risk, organ damage, eye irritation and impaired fertility.
The EPA tested 12 types of Squishies bought from a variety of sources, and found all 12 contained “high levels of harmful substances” including dimethylformamide, styrene and toluene usually found in paint thinners and nail polish remover.
The Queensland Office of Fair Trading has confirmed it won’t conduct an independent review into the fad toy but has not ruled out action if other states prove there is a risk.