CPSC fines clothing companies for failing to follow drawstring guidelines

Some children's clothing makers and retailers can't seem to grasp the fact that drawstrings on kids' clothes are a serious choking hazard, particularly when they go around the necks or hoods of jackets or sweatshirts.

More than a dozen years ago the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued guidelines warning about the potential strangulation hazard of drawstrings on children's jackets, sweatshirts and other outerwear garments, but for some reason these garments are still being recalled on a regular basis.

The latest round of recalls occurred earlier this month and included several thousand children's hooded sweatshirts and jackets sold by TJ Maxx, Marshalls and other major retailers. The CPSC says the makers of the clothing voluntarily recalled the items. The manufacturers were Raw Blue Sportswear of Moonachie, NJ; Request Jeans of New York; and Kids with Character, also of New York.

Interestingly, the CPSC released this latest round of recalls on the very same day it announced that nine different firms had agreed to pay a total of $355,000 in civil penalties for knowingly failing to report to the CPSC immediately, as required by federal law, that their children's hooded sweatshirts, jackets or sweaters were sold with—you guessed it—drawstrings at the hood and neck.

From January 1985 through January 1999, the CPSC received reports of 22 deaths and 48 nonfatal incidents involving entanglement of children's clothing drawstrings. Although the standard is voluntary, the agency has recently been enforcing the drawstring guidelines by seeking a recall of any clothes that fail to comply. "This is something the agency watches for and recalls when we find it, because the risk of strangulation is very real," CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese told us earlier, following another large drawstring-related recall of children's clothes.

The guidelines highlighting the strangulation dangers have been on the books for more than 12 years now, so we're not sure why so many children's clothing manufacturers and retailers are still violating them.

It would be nice if this latest round of civil penalties helped convince everyone in the children's clothing industry to stop making and selling products with drawstings around the head and neck altogether. If not, it might be time for the government to adopt mandatory guidelines for drawstrings in children's outerwear.

In the meantime, parents need to be extra vigilant when buying sweatshirts, jackets and other outerwear garments for their kids.

The CPSC recommends that parents or caregivers inspect their children's clothing and completely remove the hood and neck drawstrings from all upper outerwear, including jackets and sweatshirts, sized 2T to 12. The CPSC's technical staff has concluded that merely shortening the drawstrings may still present a strangulation hazard. The agency also recommends that consumers purchase children's outerwear that has alternative closures, such as snaps, buttons, Velcro and elastic.

Parents can also help by reporting the sale of any children's drawstring items to the CPSC, with such details as store, brand name, manufacturer, size and where it was made. Also notify the store manager and company—and comment on this blog as well. Retailers must do a better job making sure they are not stocking their shelves with this type of clothing.

The latest recalls:

• 5,740 hooded sweatshirts by Raw Blue Sportswear, of Moonachie, N.J.
• 1,200 drawstring hoodies by Request Jeans, of New York, N.Y.
• 1,200 BongoCheetah girls jackets by Kids with Character of New York, N.Y.