Toy Police to Children: No More Balloons

by Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist on October 12, 2011

in Healthy Living

The European Union (EU) recently approved a new toy safety directive which states that children younger than eight are not permitted to blow up balloons.

Even more ridiculous, all children under the age of 14 are banned from blowing on whistleblowers, the favorite party favours that uncurl a long paper tongue when the whistle end is tooted.

Both rules are designed to prevent swallowing and choking.

Other Big Brother rules in the legislation include restrictions on how loud toys such as baby rattles and musical instruments are permitted to be.

Even teddy bears did not escape unscathed. Stuffed toys meant for children under 3 will have to be washable to prevent young children and babies from exposure to dirt and disease.

Even simple coloring books were regulated along with anything played with by children under the age of 14.

Paul Nuttall of the European Parliament’s consumer safety committee, calls the EU legislative world a “kill joy”.

He went on to say:

“… this is crackers but I’m sure children are banned from using them too. EU party poopers should not be telling families how to blow up balloons.”

British toy manufacturers are concerned that the new regulations will drive up the price of toys due to required warning labels and safety tests.

A spokesman for the European Commission defended the new toy rules as necessary to prevent any parent’s worst nightmare and that the safety experts knew best.

One official put it this way:

“You might say that small children have been blowing up balloons for generations, but not anymore and they will be safer for it.”

My question is where will it all end?

For example, just because a teddy bear is washable doesn’t mean that it will actually be washed. Will the EU see fit to pass another rule to require parents and caregivers to wash them too? If so, how often? How hot should the water be? Is there a certain type of soap that must be used?

These types of restrictions and rules are an ever tightening noose on the throat of a society becoming increasingly dependent on its “Government Family” for direction regarding even the most mundane of everyday decisions.

What’s most concerning is that while EU legislators feel that a child of age 12 isn’t old enough to blow a party whistle, the Governor of California says a child of the same age can accept a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease with no parental consent.

This is the type of inconsistent mess that occurs when government tries to legislate personal and parental responsibility.

Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com

Source: Children to be Banned from Blowing Up Balloons Under New EU Safety Rules