Lead in Boy Scouts accessory triggers recall

DALLAS — A recall has been issued for Boy Scout uniform neckerchief slides because of health concerns over their lead content, according to a recall report.

As a result, the Irving, Texas-based Boy Scouts of America will have to replace about 110,000 of the metal slides, worn by grade-schoolers as they progress through the Cub Scout ranks.

The notice released Wednesday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that the colored enamel on the slides contains an amount of lead that violates a federal ban.

The slides, made in China, were sold between February and August of this year.

Lead is toxic if ingested, especially by young children. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the side effects of lead poisoning can include abdominal pain or loss of appetite, vomiting, seizures, developmental delays and learning and speech problems.

So far, no incidents or injuries have been reported.

Consumers are advised to immediately take the slides away from children and return them to a Boy Scouts distributor or store for a free replacement.

The slides were made in four styles, “red wolf, green bear, orange lion and blue Webelos,” according to the recall, and have P.O. numbers 200228276, 20023175, 200233281 or 200236630, which are printed on a white label attached to the back of the item.

The Scouting Organization has about 2.3 million youth members, ages 7 to 21. The Boy Scouts of America National Service Center is based in Irving.