Authorities in Qatar are preparing for a clampdown on hazardous toys sold inadvertently by retailers here. There are many toys available in the markets that pose a great risk to the health and life of young children.

To address this threat, the Qatar General Organisation for Standards and Metrology (QGOSM) will soon hold a meeting with vendors and other agencies involved in the business of importing and selling such toys.

The date for this crucial meeting is yet to be set. The standards authority has convened this meeting after it was reported that some children had been affected by such hazardous toys.

'There are certain dangerous toys like pistols which can harm children," said Dr Mohamed Seif Al Kuwari, General Manager, QGOSM. "Such dangerous toys should be removed from the market," he said adding that Qatari standards prohibit importing such toys.

Al Kuwari said the meeting will be attended by officials from the concerned departments, representatives from the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and importers of children's toys.

The QGOSM has received complaints from the public about hazardous toys being sold in the market. Bad toys are available in small quantities, but generally, the percentage of good toys sold in the markets is more.

The proposed meeting would seek to increase awareness about such dangerous toys besides eliminating their access to the market," one official said.

Asked what kind of harm these toys caused, he said there were cases of eye irritation and some of these toys can be easily swallowed by young children. The meeting, he added, aims at introducing the participants to the dangers of such toys and seeks to convince business groups to stop importing them.

Qatar had banned 75 varieties of toys from China, based on a list issued by their international dealers early this year.

This bad toys problem is not related to Asia alone. According to US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there have been 48 toy hazard recalls, between January 3 and August 28 this year.

Soure: The Peninsula, ABC.net