Background
Our product safety net isn’t up to the job of protecting us from
dangerous product. For one, America is facing a hyper-competitive,
globalized marketplace, with enormous pressure to cut costs—and cut
corners. And at the very moment that both corporate CEOs and top
government officials should be demanding greater vigilance, we've seen
regulations weakened or repealed and funding for watchdog agencies
slashed. Just 20 years ago, there were twice as many staff at the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the body charged with
ensuring the safety of consumer goods. Funding at that agency is now at
an all-time low. And the CPSC, along with other agencies led by
administration appointees, is too willing to let companies call the
shots.
High-profile
recalls of food, drugs and consumer products has families wondering
what else is slipping through the safety net. In 2007, 25 million toys
were recalled because they were laced with lead or contained small,
powerful magnets that could perforate a young child’s intestines.
Before that 60 million pounds of pet food recalled because they were
peppered with rat poison. Drug-maker like Merck were exposed for
selling Vioxx even after their own clinical trials showed that the drug
had lethally dangerous side effects. The drug ended up ending the lives
of thousands after 2 million people were prescribed the drug
That’s
why, along with PIRG leaders in 23 other states, we’re launching the
Corporate Safety Challenge. Together, we want to challenge CEOs to take
action on product safety before another major recall occurs. We need to
challenge our government to set better standards, hold companies
accountable, and put enough cops on the product safety beat to get the
job done.
