If an item of child’s clothing has a drawstring attached to it on the upper half of their body then this is illegal. It does not matter if it is on the hood, around the neck or attached to the waist. The ban was prompted by a number of deaths over the past few years. Strangulation occurs when the string gets tangled around the child or caught up on something. Childrens hoodies should be bought when they do not have drawstrings attached. Children love wearing hoodies when there is no drawstring.
Back To The Ban
Heavy fines and even prosecution has been brought against large retailers and manufacturers who used drawstrings in their children’s tops. The Consumer Product Safety Commission made tops with drawstrings illegal as they pose a serious risk to the safety of the child wearer.
A three year old boy tragically lost his life when a drawstring he was wearing got caught in a slide as he was going down it, strangling him, which makes the dangers of drawstrings more apparent. Retailers are slow to be caught when they break the law because so few people know which items are banned by law. The publication of the ban means that the CPSC can find lawbreaking retailers and manufacturers more quickly.
In Seattle the large department store Nordstrom was fined $60,000 for stocking banned tops. Four more retailers have received a collective fine of $600,000 over the past few years. Two of them were Kohl’s store and Hills Sportswear. Yet again another little girl suffocated when het top got caught at the playground.
Buying safe clothing for your child is a responsibility of every parent. The risk that clothes pose to children needs to be addressed all the time. Bike pedals can be a place that loose trousers can get caught causing accidents for example.
Hoodies of every kind should not be banned. A safe hoody can look lovely on a child. Children love to wear them because they are comfortable which is a bonus. Not only that, but a hoody is a great winter and autumn staple.