shocker1
10-26-2007, 07:58 PM
They're pretty, sparkly, festive. But according to the fine print, some holiday lights can be nothing but sickening.
"There's lead in the lights, the wiring," said surprised consumer Kimberly Mullins.
But if you didn't look at the small lead warning on the back of the box, you might never know that the lights in question can "cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm."
"People buy Christmas lights, and they're not thinking to read the back of it," said Mullins' daughter, Carol Garrett.
Garrett bought these purple Halloween lights at a Wal-Mart in Cleveland.
Once she got home, she just happened to read the fine print, saying to wash your hands after touching the product.
"We happened to go back and check the Christmas lights from last year, and they had lead, too," Mullins said.
Even their Christmas tree, also purchased from Wal-Mart, contains lead, according to a small warning on the side of its box.
Just like the lights, the tree was made in China.
Now this mom and grandma are on a mission.
"To make people aware, to make them read the back of the box before purchasing them," Garrett said.
And they want to make retailers aware, like Wal-Mart, which marketed and distributed the lights.
Mullins tells Wal-Mart to take them off the shelves.
Asked NewsChannel 9's Seth Seymour, "What if Wal-Mart or other retailers or manufacturers come back and say we put the warning on the box, we did what we were supposed to. It should be up to the consumer to read the fine print."
Responded Mullins, "My opinion, it was not put properly on the front of the box to let people know."
NewsChannel 9 called the Cleveland store manager, who said to call the corporate office in Arkansas.
So far, a company representative has not returned our call.
http://www.newschannel9.com/news/lights_963987___article.html/wal_box.html
"There's lead in the lights, the wiring," said surprised consumer Kimberly Mullins.
But if you didn't look at the small lead warning on the back of the box, you might never know that the lights in question can "cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm."
"People buy Christmas lights, and they're not thinking to read the back of it," said Mullins' daughter, Carol Garrett.
Garrett bought these purple Halloween lights at a Wal-Mart in Cleveland.
Once she got home, she just happened to read the fine print, saying to wash your hands after touching the product.
"We happened to go back and check the Christmas lights from last year, and they had lead, too," Mullins said.
Even their Christmas tree, also purchased from Wal-Mart, contains lead, according to a small warning on the side of its box.
Just like the lights, the tree was made in China.
Now this mom and grandma are on a mission.
"To make people aware, to make them read the back of the box before purchasing them," Garrett said.
And they want to make retailers aware, like Wal-Mart, which marketed and distributed the lights.
Mullins tells Wal-Mart to take them off the shelves.
Asked NewsChannel 9's Seth Seymour, "What if Wal-Mart or other retailers or manufacturers come back and say we put the warning on the box, we did what we were supposed to. It should be up to the consumer to read the fine print."
Responded Mullins, "My opinion, it was not put properly on the front of the box to let people know."
NewsChannel 9 called the Cleveland store manager, who said to call the corporate office in Arkansas.
So far, a company representative has not returned our call.
http://www.newschannel9.com/news/lights_963987___article.html/wal_box.html