Just in Time for Halloween ... Major Scares!!

Good Housekeeping Magazine Discovers Potentially Dangerous Halloween Costumes And Accessories that Could Hurt Your Child
 

NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2003 -- Ghosts and goblins aren't all you need to watch out for this Halloween. New tests of Halloween costumes and accessories conducted by the Good Housekeeping Institute had some alarming results which appear in the October issue of Good Housekeeping, on stands September 9th. Rubie's Nutcracker Barbie ballerina costume failed the federal flammability test when flames spread up the costumes at the Good Housekeeping Institute.

Full article in the October 2003 issue of Good Housekeeping

Rubie's says its Nutcracker Barbie costumes passed numerous independent tests for fire safety, exceed federal standards and "pose no threat to the public." However, it is asking customers to return the costumes for a full refund and is suspending further distribution of the costume.

Two out of seven Halloween candles tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute -- Rubie's Scary Secret Candle and Forum Novelties Bleeding Candles -- exceeded flame height recommendations by an inch or more. In addition, the wicks on Bleeding Candles continued to burn after bending over, which could have easily ignited a nearby object. Rubie's will accept the return of any Scary Secret Candle from consumers for a full refund and has discontinued distribution of the candle.

Many of the toys in the Mega Halloween Novelty Assortment ordered from the Oriental Trading Company slid through a special 1.25-inch-wide test cylinder, roughly the size of a child's open throat. But according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), if a toy can fit through that cylinder, the package must include a choking-hazard warning label saying the product is not intended for children under the age of three. None of the bulk packages the Good Housekeeping Institute saw had such a warning