Overview

Our product safety net isn’t up to the job of protecting us from dangerous products. For one, America is facing a hyper-competitive, globalized marketplace, with enormous pressure to cut costs—and cut corners. And at the very moment that both corporate CEOs and top government officials should be demanding greater vigilance, we've seen regulations weakened or repealed and funding for watchdog agencies slashed. Just 20 years ago, there were twice as many staff at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the body charged with ensuring the safety of consumer goods. Funding at that agency is now at an all-time low. And the CPSC, along with other agencies led by administration appointees, is too willing to let companies call the shots.

High-profile recalls of food, drugs and consumer products has families wondering what else is slipping through the safety net. In 2007, 25 million toys were recalled because they were laced with lead or contained small, powerful magnets that could perforate a young child’s intestines. Before that 60 million pounds of pet food recalled because they were peppered with rat poison. Drug-maker like Merck were exposed for selling Vioxx even after their own clinical trials showed that the drug had lethally dangerous side effects. Vioxx ended the lives of thousands after 2 million people were prescribed it.
 
That’s why, along with PIRG leaders in 23 other states, NHPIRG is launching the Corporate Safety Challenge. Together, we want to challenge CEOs to take action on product safety before another major recall occurs. We need to challenge our government to set better standards, hold companies accountable, and put enough cops on the product safety beat to get the job done.