With the Lantern Festival approaching, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection yesterday announced that half of the hand-held lanterns being sold in Taiwan did not meet safety standards.
Many lanterns contain chemicals that pose a health risk, while others have sharp edges that are potentially dangerous to small children.
On tomorrow’s Lantern Festival, many families will take their children to look at lantern displays and buy toys or small hand-held lanterns to celebrate the holiday. However, the bureau found that of the 48 types of toy lanterns it inspected, 24 failed to meet standards.
Nine of the toy lanterns contained illegal levels of phthalate esters, which contain environmental hormones, or chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors, bureau deputy director-general Huang Lai-ho (黃來和) said.
One product was found to contain 250 times the permitted maximum level.
“If a child accidentally puts the toy in his mouth and the chemicals make their way into the child’s body, the chemical could potentially disrupt the child’s endocrine system,” Huang said.
“In serious cases, this can cause liver or kidney problems. For women, the chemicals can increase the risk of breast cancer,” he said.
Aside from containing hazardous chemicals, other substandard lanterns have sharp edges that could penetrate a child’s skin or damage their eyes. Twelve of the lanterns have small parts that, if detached from the lantern, could be swallowed by small children and cause suffocation.
One lantern was found to contain extremely high amounts of lead, which can damage the nervous system.
The bureau said that it has instructed manufacturers to recall the products and retailers to immediately take the products off shelves.
Businesses that do not comply can be subject to fines of between NT$100,000 (US$3,100) and NT$1 million.
Huang urged parents purchasing lanterns or other toys for children to check for a sticker that indicates the product has passed safety requirements. Parents should also take note of whether the toy has sharp edges and long ropes or wires that could wrap around the neck and cause suffocation.
It is also recommended that parents remain close by when children are playing with the toys to ensure that they do not swallow small parts.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to visit the UK during her ongoing European trip, which originally included only Lithuania and Denmark, her office said today. Tsai departed Taiwan for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark, marking her second visit to the continent since her two-term presidency ended in May last year. Her office issued a statement today saying that Tsai would also visit the UK "for a few days," during which she is to meet with UK politicians and Taiwanese professionals, and visit academic and research institutions. Following Tsai's stop in Denmark, she is to visit the
RSS