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Don't Lick Elmo!

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: Consumers Union

Is Elmo hazardous to your health?

One million character toys—including Big Bird, Dora the Explorer, and Cookie Monster—were recalled in August because they might be coated in toxic lead paint, a poisonous substance that can cause learning disabilities, seizures and even death when ingested.

Before Elmo and Dora, it was hazardous pet food, seafood and toothpaste. What’s next?

This recall was the 26th toy recall THIS year—all toys produced in China. We need to ensure food and products that cross our borders are safe for our families and us.

It is not enough to recall the toxic food and products that are already in our children’s hands, we need to prevent them from ever being sold.

Tell Congress we need to make sure food and products that cross our borders are safe today!

deadline: 8-19-2008
goal: 20,000

13,359
signatures!

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Subject Line: Protect Us From Unsafe Imports!

Dear Representative [Last Name]:

I want to know that the food and products I use and eat are safe. After-the-fact recalls are too little and too late.

I urge you to increase the resources to the federal agencies charged with policing the safety of the nation's products and food supply. They need to conduct more inspections and they need the power to levy meaningful civil penalties for safety violations.

But this is not enough.

The producers, importers, distributors and retailers need to be held accountable for the products they import and profit from in the United States. Please consider requiring pre-shipment inspections and testing, and creating a certification and traceability program for food, products and their components. And please give the government agencies clear recall authority for contaminated food.

These changes would go a long way in preventing unsafe products in our market and make it easier to alert consumers when a hazard is detected. Safety should not be an option, but a necessity!

Last year there were 467 recalls resulting in millions of products being pulled off the shelves and that is not even including food product recalls! Chinese-made products accounted for 60 percent of the consumer-product recalls. This year all of the recalled toys were produced in China.

This is too many, and too often. Clearly the current system isn't working, and we need you to bring real change to keep our families safe.

[Your Comments]

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]

We signed the “Don't Lick Elmo!” petition!

# 13,375:

3:00 pm PDT, Oct 1, Beth Peka Hersey, Maine

# 13,374:

2:59 pm PDT, Oct 1, Lori Liberatore-Sowder, Florida

# 13,373:

2:53 pm PDT, Oct 1, Anatolijus Ivanovas, Lithuania

# 13,372:

2:36 pm PDT, Oct 1, Jamie Richards, Massachusetts

# 13,371:

2:32 pm PDT, Oct 1, Bob Willman, Pennsylvania

# 13,370:

2:27 pm PDT, Oct 1, Kirsten Throneberry, Missouri
We export our jobs so that big business can increase their profits but now we see the costs and who is paying? Our children. We need closer inspections. And to the rest of the consuming nation we can end this by boycotting all products made in China. If you are tired of being at risk find products manufactured elsewhere. I know it is difficult but our power is in our money not our congress. We can put change in motion before Congress even gets around to putting this on their agenda. Its your life take action!

# 13,369:

2:07 pm PDT, Oct 1, Diane Brents, Arkansas

# 13,368:

2:06 pm PDT, Oct 1, Roger Kimble, West Virginia
We need CLOSE inspection of all tems being imported into the United States. Someone is not doing their job. Let's catch up, please!

# 13,367:

2:05 pm PDT, Oct 1, Nanci Ollick, Florida

# 13,366:

1:53 pm PDT, Oct 1, Violette Ruffley, Costa Rica

# 13,365:

1:32 pm PDT, Oct 1, Katherine Cadury, Switzerland

# 13,364:

1:18 pm PDT, Oct 1, Jackie Veneziano, Florida

# 13,363:

1:17 pm PDT, Oct 1, Mary Riley, Washington

# 13,362:

1:15 pm PDT, Oct 1, Avis Grandon, Washington

# 13,361:

12:27 pm PDT, Oct 1, Jane Meyer, Pennsylvania

# 13,360:

12:24 pm PDT, Oct 1, Shawna Wagoner, Michigan

# 13,359:

12:13 pm PDT, Oct 1, Starr Beach, South Carolina

# 13,358:

11:44 am PDT, Oct 1, Rena Wu, New York

# 13,357:

11:27 am PDT, Oct 1, Jennifer Chambers, California

# 13,356:

11:20 am PDT, Oct 1, Timothy Brown, Oregon

# 13,355:

11:16 am PDT, Oct 1, Orestis Papadopolos, Greece

# 13,354:

11:01 am PDT, Oct 1, Jay Buckley, Illinois

# 13,353:

10:59 am PDT, Oct 1, Gabriela Hernandez, Mexico
I always used to buy Mattel toys to my child, but now I dont know what to choose I am afraid and I am thinking to return to the basics, when children used to play with sticks, with the sand, and natural things like that. I think is less expensive(now everything is marketing), more secure and healthier.

# 13,352:

10:44 am PDT, Oct 1, Name not displayed, Indiana

# 13,351:

10:36 am PDT, Oct 1, Joan Redd, Ohio

# 13,350:

10:32 am PDT, Oct 1, Orion Hudgins, California

# 13,349:

10:29 am PDT, Oct 1, Corla Coles, California
I purchase toys for 11,000 to 14,000 local underserved children annually for Santa Claus Incorporated. We put them in "packages" so the child has a more than one toy. We need the assurance that the toys we are purchasing are safe for these children. The parents are often uneducated and trust us to provide quality, safe toys. Make safetly a priority.

# 13,348:

10:20 am PDT, Oct 1, Larry Martin, Illinois

# 13,347:

10:12 am PDT, Oct 1, Name not displayed, New York

# 13,346:

9:53 am PDT, Oct 1, Name not displayed, Alabama

# 13,345:

9:46 am PDT, Oct 1, Margaret Tollner, California

# 13,344:

9:40 am PDT, Oct 1, Patricia Kube, Missouri

# 13,343:

9:39 am PDT, Oct 1, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania

# 13,342:

9:36 am PDT, Oct 1, Nancy Gray, Pennsylvania

# 13,341:

8:55 am PDT, Oct 1, Vanessa Salazar, Chile

# 13,340:

8:48 am PDT, Oct 1, Gypsy Angel, Pennsylvania

# 13,339:

8:38 am PDT, Oct 1, Bryony Hunt, United Kingdom

# 13,338:

8:30 am PDT, Oct 1, Aashish Rathod, California

# 13,337:

8:23 am PDT, Oct 1, Mike Stanley, Illinois

# 13,336:

8:22 am PDT, Oct 1, Valerie Williams, Colorado

# 13,335:

8:07 am PDT, Oct 1, Mary Piechoski, Pennsylvania

# 13,334:

7:52 am PDT, Oct 1, Tommy Yarbrough, North Carolina
Big Govt. and big business does not CARE what crosses our borders so long as it doesn't affect THEIR interests. Until THOSE TWO are brought under control BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE, nothing will change and children will die. And by the way, THEY are still killing innocents abroad. I ain't seen no stinkin' proof that THEY CARE.

# 13,333:

7:50 am PDT, Oct 1, Anna Koncz, Michigan

# 13,332:

7:44 am PDT, Oct 1, Elizabeth Blum, Wisconsin

# 13,331:

7:36 am PDT, Oct 1, Lisa Spellacy, Florida

# 13,330:

7:25 am PDT, Oct 1, Justin Phillips, Michigan

# 13,329:

7:19 am PDT, Oct 1, Stephen Allard, Arizona

# 13,328:

7:12 am PDT, Oct 1, Jeff Hogard, Illinois

# 13,327:

7:11 am PDT, Oct 1, Name not displayed, North Carolina

# 13,326:

7:07 am PDT, Oct 1, Peggy Fritz, Iowa

# 13,325:

7:05 am PDT, Oct 1, Seth Plate, Canada

# 13,324:

7:04 am PDT, Oct 1, Valerie Martinelli, California
The FDA needs to get involved with any items coming into our country not just what is produced here. The US has a high standard for what can be passed along to it's citizens and unfortunately this is not true for other countries. Please make sure that what comes into this country is held up to the same standards as what the US produces is.

# 13,323:

6:54 am PDT, Oct 1, Name not displayed, Maryland

# 13,322:

6:52 am PDT, Oct 1, GAMBIT Ex X-Men, Canada

# 13,321:

6:44 am PDT, Oct 1, Lori Taft, Kentucky

# 13,320:

6:40 am PDT, Oct 1, Shell DiGiorgio, Florida

# 13,319:

5:59 am PDT, Oct 1, Sheryl Bradakis, Michigan

# 13,318:

5:55 am PDT, Oct 1, Veronique Dg, Canada

# 13,317:

5:52 am PDT, Oct 1, Amy Wheeler, New York

# 13,316:

5:49 am PDT, Oct 1, Tania Naim, Lebanon

# 13,315:

5:41 am PDT, Oct 1, Bethany Lehman, Texas

# 13,314:

5:35 am PDT, Oct 1, Kathryn Kuhn, Missouri

# 13,313:

5:18 am PDT, Oct 1, Donna Kuyon, Ohio

# 13,312:

4:50 am PDT, Oct 1, DENA GARCIA, Florida

# 13,311:

4:48 am PDT, Oct 1, Dennis Honigs, Minnesota

# 13,310:

4:47 am PDT, Oct 1, Tifaney Maloney, Alabama

# 13,309:

4:36 am PDT, Oct 1, Robert Prescott, Alabama

# 13,308:

4:35 am PDT, Oct 1, Brian Archer, Colorado

# 13,307:

4:33 am PDT, Oct 1, Linda Okhuoya, Poland

# 13,306:

4:33 am PDT, Oct 1, Name not displayed, United Kingdom
The amount of recalls have been staggering, and could have been prevented with better regulatons and more funding for inspectors. These things are dangerous to our health, and it is the American governments responsiblity to make sure these sort of dangers never reach the consumer. It is now time for you to step up and do what is necessary to prevent future dangers crossing America borders.

# 13,305:

4:31 am PDT, Oct 1, Glenn C, Canada

# 13,304:

4:26 am PDT, Oct 1, Jane Sunshine, New York

# 13,303:

4:05 am PDT, Oct 1, Heather Parker, Connecticut

# 13,302:

3:59 am PDT, Oct 1, Choryeen Tan, Malaysia

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Don't Lick Elmo!

This petition has been closed.