Illinois AG says keep these gifts off your lists

Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week released a do-not-buy gift guide that includes certain toy guns, rattles that can choke babies, and headphones that can ignite.

The 2022 Safe Shopping Guide for holiday shoppers highlights recently recalled toys, children’s products and household items.

The guide includes detailed descriptions and photographs of children’s products recalled in the last year, including toys that pose choking hazards and all-terrain vehicles that can catch on fire.

“I encourage shoppers to reference my office’s annual Safe Shopping Guide to ensure a safe holiday,” Raoul said in a news release. “This simple guide will help shoppers avoid buying recalled products and also tells consumers what to do if they already have a recalled item in their home.”

Consumers can view and download the 2022 Safe Shopping Guide at the attorney general’s website, illinoisattorneygenral.gov. Recall alerts are available directly by signing up at recalls.gov.

Products in the guide include toys, music sets, touch books, pacifiers, tethers and rattles that have been recalled due to choking hazards from parts that can break off.

Raoul urged people to be aware of electric bikes, toy guns and headphones with batteries that can overheat, ignite and pose fire hazards. Flashlights and e-bikes have been recalled due to battery latch malfunctions, which lead to batteries falling out unexpectedly and creating hazards.

The guide also includes:

• Potentially flammable sleepwear

• Clothes and toys that exceed allowable lead levels

• Electronic toys and other items powered by small button batteries that can be ingested by children, who also may insert the batteries in noses and ears leading to internal burns

• Bunk beds that pose entrapment and strangulation hazards due to the design of ladders and dresser-top hutches

• ATVs and safety helmets that do not meet safety standards

The attorney general’s office noted that while many products have been recalled, the guide can be used to identify items still found in the secondhand market or perhaps already in consumers’ homes.