Health Canada issues recall of lead-tainted pencils
The Windsor Star
Health Canada and Amscan Canada announced Saturday the voluntary recall of 140,000 units of Favor Set brand pencils due to a high lead level found in the coating of the pencils. The pencils were manufactured in China.
These pencils should immediately be taken away from children, as sucking or chewing on a such lead-tainted pencils can cause adverse health effects, especially in young children. There is no risk of lead exposure from holding a pencil with a coating that contains lead.
In its news release, Health Canada did not identify the level of lead contained in the coating other than to say it is "high."
Under the Hazardous Products Act, pencils with more than 600 mg/kg of lead in the applied coating are prohibited from being sold, imported or advertised in Canada.
To date, Health Canada says it has not received any reports of incidents or injuries from use of these pencils.
If you suspect lead poisoning, contact your family physician who can order a blood test to measure a child's blood lead level.
For more information, contact your nearest Health Canada Product Safety office by phone at 1-888-662-0666 (toll-free) or email at cps-spc@hc-sc.gc.ca .
Amscan Canada advises that pencils that have already been purchased should be returned to the following address for a refund:
Amscan Canada
60 Lindsay Avenue
Dorval, Quebec
H9P 2T8
Phone 1-800-363-6662
The recalled sets include:
275034 Prehistoric Party Favor Set
275049 Keep on Truckin Favor Set
277037 Championship Baseball Favor Set
277042 Championship Soccer Favor Set
277721 Championship Basketball Favor Set
277751 Championship Football Favor Set
278128 Camouflage Favor Set
278222 Pirate Party Favor Set
279756 Hearts & Flowers Favor Set
279760 Unicorn Magic Favor Set
279763 Frogs & Lizards Favor Set
279765 Princess Favor Set
279766 Shimmering Butterfly Favor Set
279780 Underwater Friends Favor Set
279781 Safari Party Favor Set
349949 Glitzy Girl Favor Set