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Runaways
Missing Children
Be Safe on Scooters
Dispelling the Myths
Disposable nappies linked to infertility
Pesticide exposure linked to cancer in children
Bidis Banned in Illinois
Recall - Burger King Pokémon Ball
Make the World Safe for Children™
Limited Time - Free Book - Smart Parents Safe Children
Children Act Fast...So Do Poisons!
Kitchen Safety Tips
Halloween Safety Tips
Ouch! Body Piercing
Inhalants Can Kill
Toy Purchasing and Toy Safety
Resources Guides

Be Safe on Scooters

One of the big things on kids' holiday gift lists this year was the sleek silver foot scooter that's become so popular. But with the scooter comes this warning to parents" It can be dangerous if ridden improperly or used without protective gear, similar to bicycles, skateboards, skates and anything else with wheels. Anyone who rides them should wear a helmet, wrist guards and protective pads on the elbows and knees. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports in August, 00 that more than 9,500 Americans to emergency rooms in the first half of 2000 - most of them children. It also said that nearly two-thirds of the injuries could have been prevented or lessened if the riders had been wearing protective equipment.

Ride Safely and Legally:

Wear protective gear
Keep to trails where there are no cars.
Stay in the bicycle lane if you have to share the road with cars.
Wear bright colors or reflective stripes.
Avoid riding at night.
Keep a lookout for obstacles in your path
Ride with traffic and be aware of traffic around you
Learn the rules of the road and obey traffic laws.
Make sure you know how to stop on your scooter, skates, or skateboard.

It's also important to make sure your child is old enough and mature enough to go off on a scooter on his or her own.

Motorized Scooters: Electric and gasoline-powered foot scooters are even more dangerous, as they can reach speeds of up to 20 mph. Powered scooters cannot legally be ridden in California by anyone younger than 16. California law also stats that the rider of any motorized scooter must:

Not ride on sidewalks
Not exceed 15 mph
Not carry a passenger.
Not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Not ride at night unless the scooter or operator is equipped with authorized lamps and reflectors.
Confine riding to bike paths, bike lanes, or streets with a posted speed limit of 25 mph or slower.

Dispelling the Myths

The National Mental Health Awareness Campaign is dedicated to reducing the stigma associated with mental illnesses of all kinds in America. Fear and shame thrive in dark corners. What follows are some very popular myths, along with the facts to debunk them. Our purpose here is to shed some light -- and urge people to seek treatment. MORE ON MYTHS

Disposable nappies linked to infertility (10/26/00)

Disposable, plastic-lined nappies significantly increase scrotal temperatures and might be affecting future fertility. That’s the conclusion of a recent German study which measured the scrotal temperatures of 48 healthy boys aged 0-55 months. Temperatures were about one degree Centigrade higher when boys wore the disposable nappies compared to the old-fashioned cotton nappies. The study suggests that further research is needed to establish whether this affects future fertility but it is already known that warming the testicles in adults affects sperm production. If there is a link between disposable nappies and adult sperm production, this could help explain the decline in sperm counts and semen quality over the past 50 years.

Pesticide exposure linked to cancer in children

Additional evidence that pesticide exposure may increase a child's risk of cancer has been found by researchers. However, the investigators point out that the vast number of pesticides--including home insecticides, garden sprays and routine use of exterminators--make it difficult to identify which pesticides might be responsible for the link. www.he!althcentral.com/news/newsfulltext.cfm?ID=45211&src=n49

Bidis Banned in Illinois

Illinois has become the first state in the nation to ban the sale of bidi cigarettes, tiny, hand-rolled, flavored cigarettes, which are popular among young teens. "Bidi cigarettes resemble marijuana joints, which may influence their popularity," said the Governor's statement. "The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) found that bidis produce three times the nicotine and carbon monoxide and five times the tar of regular cigarettes." Bidis are often manufactured in sweatshop-like conditions, sometimes by child labor; the cigarettes, once imported to the US, are given candy-like flavors and colorful packaging that appeal to kids; some think bidis may be a gateway to drugs become they look like marijuana joints and produce a powerful head rush; consumers tend to be unaware; and finally, some tobacco opponents can them because they'd can any smokable product they can. So, why haven't the other 49 states or the FDA done anything to ban bidis? Maybe you should ask your state representatives if their interested in protecting children.

Recall - Burger King Corporation Announces Voluntary Recall of Pokémon Ball

Miami, FL - December 27, 1999 - Burger King Corporation is voluntarily recalling the Pokémon® balls included with Burger King® kids meals. The balls may pose a suffocation hazard to children under three years of age. Pokémon balls are the ball-shaped plastic containers that hold Pokémon toys in Burger King kids meals. Either half of the Pokémon ball can become stuck on a child's face, covering the nose and mouth and may cause suffocation of a child under three years of age. (See poster behind "Lenny" icon.)

A 13-month-old girl reportedly suffocated when one half of a Pokémon ball covered her nose and mouth. An 18-month old girl reportedly also had a ball half stuck over her face causing her distress; however, the girl's father on the second attempt pulled the ball-half from her face and no injury resulted.

The Pokémon balls are plastic ball-shaped containers between 2 ¾" and 3" in diameter. They pull apart to reveal one of 57 different Pokémon toys inside. The balls were distributed in a variety of colors including red and white, and hot pink. Packaging described them as safety tested and recommended for all ages of children.

Burger King restaurants nationwide distributed the Pokémon Balls inside Burger King Big Kids Meal™ and regular kids meals from early November through December, 1999.

Consumers should immediately take the balls away from children under the age of three. They should discard the ball or return both halves of the ball to a Burger King restaurant for a free small order of french fries. Consumers may continue to use the Pokémon toy that came inside the ball.

Burger King restaurants will continue to distribute the Pokémon toys in balls with Burger Kind Kids Meals, but the Pokémon balls will no longer be included with the toy in the regular kids club meals, generally intended for younger children. Consumers should not allow children younger than the age of three (3) to play with these balls. Please call 800.775.0625 for additional information about this recall or visit www.burgerking.com

On Friday, December 24, 1999, Burger King Corporation instructed all of its U.S. restaurants to discontinue distributing the Poké Balls with its Kids Meals. Thereafter, on Friday, December 31, 1999, out of an abundance of caution, the company decided to cease distribution of the Poké Balls with its Big Kids Meals as well.

Limited Time - Free (except $5.95 for shipping and handling) Book - Smart Parents Safe Children

ChildRecall.com announces today (2/20/00) that as a result of another child tragedy due to the use of recalled products (Pokemon), it will give away for a limited time its one-of-a-kind and potentially lifesaving book, Smart Parents Safe Children for $5.95 shipping & handling. In addition to listing the product recalls found on the ChildRecall.com website, www.childrecall.com

the book also analyses the reasons behind each recall and provides insightful statistics as to why certain product types fail. This is very important because many products being sold today may be recalled tomorrow. Smart Parents, Safe Children assists parents in identifying hazardous products before they are recalled, allowing parents to become not only more informed consumers, but also better guardians of their children. This free website has been designed to assist parents in providing a safer environment for their children. Many children’s products and other household items have been recalled or banned by the government and continue to be used today. These products can pose the threat of very serious injury or even death to your child. It only takes one hazardous product to cause a family tragedy. ChildRecall.com uses advanced technology to combat this problem by providing a comprehensive and user friendly database that enables parents to efficiently determine if they own any recalled products posing danger to their children. The database contains hundreds of products that have been recalled during the past 10 years. It groups the many items in easily identifiable product categories allowing the user to search by product category, manufacturer or recall date. ChildRecall.com’s innovative design and comprehensive data provides parents a superior alternative to relying on recall announcements from the news or found on other websites. ChildRecall.com allows the parent to quickly identify the specific recalled products they own without having to wade through random lists of recalled products they do not own. ChildRecall.com offers an especially unique feature, the Child Product Register, which enables parents to register their children’s products by product type and manufacturer. By using this feature, parents will be notified via email should their registered products become recalled in the future. The site also provides extensive information on many different areas of child safety. When you go to the site, they ask you to register with your first and last name and email address before you can access information.

Make the World Safe for Children™

I had been working in the world for over fifteen years "To be a major factor in the elimination of male violence in the universe." A statement, refined over time, where each word had importance and meaning. During a weekend training I attended back in 1990, however, my little boy spoke to me and my mission took a dramatic shift. It became transformed, as my work has since then, into: "Make the World Safe for Children". With that in mind, I ask you to see what part you play in all of this.

The decisions you make everyday effect life as we know it on this planet. Here are some things you can do:

Look at the way you are in the world, how you release or stuff your anger, how you treat strangers, friends, loved ones, children. Are you a good role model for children and other adults? What if every decision and action you made, at home, at work and in the world was based on making the world safe for children?
Take a moment to daydream: what kind of a world would that be? What would it look like? Are you willing to actively help create that world?
Look at your personal commitment to the environment, your health (both physical and mental), exercise and the food you eat. Stop putting off those decisions to "get healthy".
Copy this letter and mail or fax it to all your friends and relatives asking them to do the same.
Send a letter to politicians at the federal, state and local level encouraging them to make only those decisions that insure a world safe for children.
Encourage children through school and church to send a letter (1) to President Clinton asking him to make only those decisions that insure a world safe for children and (2) to their parents asking them to "Make this world a safe place for me in everything you do".
Use resources at your disposal - local bulletin boards at grocery stores, Laundromats, the office, on computers, etc. to spread the word.

Men and fathers do care. Do you? If so, get actively involved in any way you can to see to it that change happens.

Think about it! Then do something about it - TODAY! It's not too late! And, if you think of additional things to add to this list, let us know. - Gordon Clay

Kitchen Safety Tips

Safeguards: Some ways to eliminate the top kitchen hazards: Make sure appliance cords do not dangle over the edges of counters. Keep counters free of knives and glassware. Never allow children under age 8 to use the microwave. Store cleaning products, toothpicks, and plastic bags in locked cabinets. Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove. Keep hot foods and liquids away from the edges of tables. Install safety locks on drawers with sharp objects like scissors. Make sure you set your water heater at 120 degrees F to prevent scalds. Put childproof covers on stove and oven knobs. Parents Tips & Trick

Resource Guides:

We have available four pertinent Slide Guides. You slide the inside card to your question and the answer appears in the box.

Safe Dating Guide: The body is special. In order to safeguard yourself, you must avoid high-risk situations. This is a guide to reduce dating risks, provides comebacks to common lines you may hear or say, and provides facts you should know about date rape. $3 each.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Education Guide: This guide provides myths and facts about STDs, the cause and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and prevention information for the 10 major diseases. For anyone who is sexually active or thinking about becoming sexual. $3 each.
AIDS Education Guide: Includes the answers to the top 15 questions about AIDS plus Condom Do's and Don'ts. $3 each.
Facts on Gangs: What every citizen should know. Provides information on signs of possible gang involvement, how to protect your children, what you can do plus answers to the 7 most frequently asked questions. $3 each.

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Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. - William James Achieve Your Dreams

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