Illinois AG Madigan: Product Recalls Doubled In 2007

January 4, 2008 -- Chicago – Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that U.S. product recalls more than doubled over the last year, rising from 98 recall announcements in 2006 to 210 recalls in 2007. From children's toys and jewelry to clothing and ATVs, a total of 891 product types were affected, including more than 44 million total product units, according to research compiled by the Illinois Attorney General's office.

“These are alarming statistics and they indicate that dangerous products are still accessible on store shelves and in our own homes,” Madigan said. “Even though the holiday shopping season is over, parents must continue to be cautious about the products they are purchasing.”

Madigan's office offers an array of resources for consumers to stay current on recalled products. The Attorney General's recall hotline (1-888-414-7678) helps callers identify recalled products in their homes and access information needed to contact companies to repair or return affected products. In addition, the Attorney General issued a 2007 Safe Shopping Guide, a 91-page color-photo catalog of hundreds of toys, jewelry, furniture and clothing recalled over the last year. The guide is designed to help parents steer clear of recalled children's products on store shelves and those that may already be in their homes.

More than 1,400 people have called the recall hotline since it was launched in October, and the Attorney General's office has distributed more than 2,000 Safe Shopping Guides since November.

“As parents, we are all trying to make sure that our children are protected from dangerous products,” Madigan said. “We created these resources to provide consumers with detailed information in a clear, accessible format. I urge everyone to take advantage of all available resources to stay current on the products that pose potential health risks to our families.”

Copies of the Safe Shopping Guide, including editions with background information in Spanish and Polish, are available free to consumers at all of the Attorney General's main and regional offices. Consumers also may request a hard copy via mail, free of charge, by calling the Attorney General's Recall Hotline. The Safe Shopping Guide is also available for viewing or downloading on the Attorney General's Web site at www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov .

Madigan urges all Illinois consumers to sign up for e-mail notification of recalls at www.recalls.gov .

Source: Illinois Attorney General

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