About 300 <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/product_liability">Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings, imported by the Polar Bear Gift Shop, of Anchorage, Alaska have been recalled, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada (HC) just announced.
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.
This recall involves children’s hooded sweatshirts sold in sizes small through extra large. “John Moose” and “Alaska” screen print logos are printed on the front of the yellow sweatshirts. The “Gaxiani” brand name and RN# 55774 are sewn on the neck tag inside of the garment.
The recalled Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings were manufactured in Mexico and were sold exclusively at the Polar Bear Gift Shop in Anchorage, Alaska from February 2008 through August 2009 for about $15.
The CPSC and HC are advising consumers to immediately remove the drawstring to eliminate the hazard. Consumers can also return the sweatshirt to Polar Bear Gift Shop for a full refund. Polar Bear Gift Shop can be reached by calling the shop collect at (907) 274-4387 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Pacific Time, Monday through Friday or by visiting the firm’s Web site at www.polarbeargifts.net
