18 January 2010

Novelty Lighters - Canberra catches up with common sense

| Skidbladnir
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If a toy looks like a frog, but shoots flames from its eyes, its probably not the kind of thing you want to give to children.
But apparently that hasn’t stopped people here in Canberra from selling them at service stations, dollar shops, and everywhere nonsensically dangerous crap from China is sold.

So today, the Office for Regulatory Services have announced that our Attorney General has placed an interim order banning from sale any novelty lighters which are attractive to children under five years of age.
This is just the local implementation of the December 09 ACCC interim order declaring them ‘unsafe goods’ which came with hefty penalties for their supply or sale.
Victoria was the first state in Australia to ban them, back in September 2009, closing a loophole in the law which allowed toylike lighters to require no child-restraint features, so long as they sold for more than $5.
Before anyone gets too excited that its only taken us four months to catch up with things in Victoria, this puts us only four years behind Europe in recognising that toys which produce naked flames are not suitable for children.

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A Noisy Noise Annoys An Oyster said :

Actually I’d like it if kids burnt themselves to death with this lighter. Anything which reduces the number of kids should only be encouraged.

Just make sure you’re a self-funding retiree coz it’s not looking good for the elderly this century.

A Noisy Noise Annoys An Oyster5:37 pm 19 Jan 10

Actually I’d like it if kids burnt themselves to death with this lighter. Anything which reduces the number of kids should only be encouraged.

Play with one of these and you will
(A) GET WET
(B) WIN LOTTO
(C) GET BURNT

The answer is NOT A or B

GardeningGirl12:52 pm 19 Jan 10

I must admit it’s cute… and I wouldn’t have guessed what it was.

im not sure what i would use one for as i dont smoke anymore, but dang I want one !

GardeningGirl1:01 am 19 Jan 10

I sometimes look at the EU RAPEX recall lists. Depressing. It’s just another reason why I’m cynical about The Environment. Shiploads of cheap nasty gimmicky useless dangerous rubbish . . . if we’re lucky it will be recalled but considering how many things are not legislated against here we’re probably a dumping ground for what can’t be sold in Europe. Anyone remember a travelling sale some years ago, manchester originally destined for Europe the advertising said, anyone wonder why it came here instead? It was soon after a new ban came into force in Europe. Coincidence? I think not. Anyhoo, whether it’s recalled and goes to landfill or breaks/wears out/novelty wears off and goes to landfill, it’ll end up in landfill. And we’ll take our eco friendly little polypropylene reusable shopping bags up to the shops and buy more rubbish. Argh, don’t get me started . . .

As a smoker I support this move.

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