You're Our Hero Cathy Flanders - Government May Ban Some Candles

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Government May Ban Some Candles

Tuesday, January 30, 2001

By DAVID HO

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government is considering a ban on candles

containing lead because of the risk that they could expose young

children to toxic smoke.

Candles with wicks containing lead, many of them imported, are

turning up on store shelves despite a voluntary ban by U.S. candle

makers, according to a study by the Consumer Product Safety

Commission. Only a small percentage of candles contain lead, but

some of those that do can release five times the amount of lead

considered hazardous for children younger than 6, the study found.

Since it is hard to tell if a candle wick contains lead, the

safety commission warned parents to avoid burning any candles with

metal wicks near their young children or to just throw the candles

away, commission spokesman Russ Rader said Tuesday. People can

identify this type of candle by looking at the top of the wick for

a metal core, which is used for support.

While there have been no confirmed cases of children suffering

lead poisoning from a candle, the government is concerned that

children could inhale the lead or eat it after it settles onto

surfaces. Children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning,

which can cause a variety of ailments, ranging from lower

intelligence and learning disabilities to seizures and death.

The commission has proposed a ban that would apply to both U.S.

candles and imports.

``A ban would allow us to work with the U.S. Customs Service to

stop candles at the docks and it would allow us to bring penalties

against companies who use lead in their wicks,'' Rader said.

A ban may be voted on by the commission as early as next week,

but even if approved wouldn't go into effect until the end of the

year, Rader said. In the meantime, a dozen retailers, including

Wal-Mart and Target, have agreed to keep the lead-wick candles off

their shelves.

The National Candle Association, an industry group, supports the

proposed ban, spokesman J.C. Edmond said. He said the association's

members, which account for 95 percent of U.S. candle manufacturers,

all adhere to a voluntary 1974 ban to keep lead out of candles.

Lead is more likely to appear in imported candles and those made

by smaller companies or individuals, Edmond said. ``I can't say

there are none of these candles out on shelves today, but if it

says 'Made in U.S.A.,' I would be very, very surprised that it

would have a lead-cored wick,'' he said.

American manufacturers produced about 700 million pounds of

candles in 1999 and about 445 million pounds were imported, a third

of which came from China.

Edmond said, however, that the candle industry doesn't agree

with the government's advice that consumers with children avoid all

candles with metal wicks since most use zinc, which is safe. The

safety commission said it's too difficult to tell the difference

between zinc and lead in candle wicks.

While the government study didn't say precisely how many

dangerous candles are in stores, it does support research by the

consumer group Public Citizen that found about 3 percent of the

candles purchased from retail stores in the Washington area contain

lead, Rader said.

Following its study a year ago, Private Citizen and two national

housing associations asked the safety commission to ban the

candles.

The safety commission said that the greatest lead threat to

children remains flaking lead paint in older buildings.

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On the Net:

Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov

National Candle Association: http://www.candles.org