From our president

Consumer Reports magazine: February 2012

This monthly letter to subscribers from Consumer Reports' president, Jim Guest, highlights the critical consumer issues behind our current reports. See archived letters.

Winners and losers

Sure, giving an award is a thrill, but so is getting one. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has given Consumers Union a Chairman's Commendation Circle Award for our work to prevent deaths and injuries.

We know the work is important to you. Our January 2011 report on arsenic and lead in apple and grape juices drew strong interest. The Food and Drug Administration has set limits on the amount of arsenic and lead allowed in bottled water; to help persuade the FDA to do the same for juice, go to www.ConsumersUnion.org/arsenic.

The CPSC award is a reflection of our dedication to the art and science of prodding the marketplace—and the government—to make safer products and set tighter safety standards.

Really bad ideas

It usually takes intense testing and thorough knowledge of a product to turn up safety issues, but sometimes a product is such a blatantly bad idea that one look tells you there's a problem. Here are three we've highlighted over the years:

1966 With no engine or hood in front, all that came between the driver of a "family bus-wagon" and "all outdoors and its collision hazards" was a glass windshield and some sheet metal.

1975 A toothbrush shaped like a pistol (complete with holster) prompted kids to stick guns in their mouths.

2011 Juicy colors! Fruity varieties! Kids' drink? Nope … Mistolin household cleaner (shown). And it's child's play to open, with no safety cap.