5 Star Apparel is recalling about 11,500 of its <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/product_liability">Mecca Children’s Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.
The recalled Mecca Children’s Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings were distributed by 5 Star Apparel LLC, of New York, New York and manufactured in China, a country long associated with dangerous, sometimes deadly, consumer and children’s products, human and pet food, and medications.
The sweatshirts have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to children. Fourteen years ago, the CPSC issued guidelines to help prevent children from strangling or becoming entangled on the neck and waist by drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts. In 1997, industry adopted a voluntary standard for drawstrings that incorporated these guidelines. In May 2006, the CPSC’s Office of Compliance issued an announcement that such outerwear with drawstrings at the hood or neck would be regarded as both defective and a substantial risk of injury to young children.
Unfortunately, the CPSC guidelines are routinely ignored by the clothing industry, and that attitude has had deadly consequences for some children. From January 1985 through January 1999, the CPSC received reports of 22 deaths and 48 non-fatal entanglement incidents involving drawstrings on children’s clothing.
To date, no incidents or injuries have been reported in connection with this recall.
This recall involves girls’ and boys’ hooded jackets with drawstrings, as follows:
• Girl’s Pink Short-Sleeve Lightweight Jacket: Style number MIG108105 in sizes 12M, 18M, 24M; style number MLG108105 in sizes 4-6X; and style number MTG108105 in sizes 2T-4T. The word “Mecca†is printed on the inside of jacket below the neck.
• Boy’s Black or Brown Heavy Jacket: Style number MLK908602 in sizes 4-7 and style number MT908602 in sizes 2T-4T. The word “Mecca†is printed on the outside back of the jacket.
The recalled Mecca Children’s Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings were sold at Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and other retail stores nationwide from April 2008 through December 2009 for between $40 and $100
The CPSC is advising consumers should remove the drawstring immediately, cut the drawstring out of garment, or return the jacket to the store where purchased for a full refund. 5 Star can be reached by telephone, collect, at (646) 273-1225 or (646) 273-1228 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Times, Monday through Friday.
