STORM2K

I was looking for multi-colored mini xmas lights yesterday. Went to KMart and was about to buy their brand, until I read a warning on the back. You see I have trouble stringing lights together and I wanted to read how many I could hook together. I didn't buy them so I'm paraphrasing this, but it stated: "Handling these lights will expose you to lead. Lead has been known to cause cancer in the state of California. Wash hands after use."

Yikes! I put those lights down so quickly. Stood there for a few minutes and finally decided I didn't want to buy those lights! They were cheap too. Dang.

Both my kids like to string xmas lights in their room, from this bookcase to that window, etc. It looks cute when they're done. My one daughter talked me into leaving hers up all year long. And they were inexpensive brand ones too, I think we bought them from Michael's.

Now I'm looking at xmas lights in a whole different light! No pun intended. I finally found GE brand multi lights, w/o a warning. They were 3 times the price of KMart lights. I think we're safe with the GE ones.

It all just made me really stop and think. Surprised KMart can get away with this! And we, as a family rule, try to buy generic brand items. To think a product today contains lead and it had the UL seal too!

Just a FYI tip from me today.

Mary

Miss Mary wrote:I was looking for multi-colored mini xmas lights yesterday. Went to KMart and was about to buy their brand, until I read a warning on the back. You see I have trouble stringing lights together and I wanted to read how many I could hook together. I didn't buy them so I'm paraphrasing this, but it stated: "Handling these lights will expose you to lead. Lead has been known to cause cancer in the state of California. Wash hands after use."

Yikes! I put those lights down so quickly. Stood there for a few minutes and finally decided I didn't want to buy those lights! They were cheap too. Dang.

Both my kids like to string xmas lights in their room, from this bookcase to that window, etc. It looks cute when they're done. My one daughter talked me into leaving hers up all year long. And they were inexpensive brand ones too, I think we bought them from Michael's.

Now I'm looking at xmas lights in a whole different light! No pun intended. I finally found GE brand multi lights, w/o a warning. They were 3 times the price of KMart lights. I think we're safe with the GE ones.

It all just made me really stop and think. Surprised KMart can get away with this! And we, as a family rule, try to buy generic brand items. To think a product today contains lead and it had the UL seal too!

Just a FYI tip from me today.

Mary

But you're in Ohio, you should be safe!

Thanks for warning Miss Mary. Glad you caught that before you bought them. Now I'm going to check my boxes of lights!

HD - oh you are too funny. Yes lead only causes cancer in California. LOL

Let's sell the cheap things here in Ohio. Just call us guinea pigs huh?

Jenn - the thing is we pitch the boxes usually. Keep the plastic insert and wind lights around them. So the warnings, if any had them, are long gone. I've even been given old lights from my father-in-law, when he moved into a condo and didn't want to bother with a tree anymore. I'm not saying run out and buy all new lights, good luck finding them at this stage in the game, but I am reading the backs of boxes now. Oh yeah, sure am!

Mary

Makes me even more happy I decided to buy the fiber optic tree. NO MORE STRINGING OF LIGHTS. WOO HOO!. LOL!!

Kmart? You have a Kmart?

Lindaloo wrote:Makes me even more happy I decided to buy the fiber optic tree. NO MORE STRINGING OF LIGHTS. WOO HOO!. LOL!!

Kmart? You have a Kmart?

Yep, sure do. When many were closing, our local one has remained open. I do think our local Target is our Kmart's stiffest competition but this lone Kmart is still chugging along.

Mary

LOL even with the K marts that close. who doesn't have a K Mart lol.. I live within shouting distance of 1, there are also 3 wal marts here lol

K-Mart closed up in TX, I didn't shop there much anyway......Target is my place of choice

CaptinCrunch - I prefer Target also. I went to 6 stores yesterday, hoping to find 300 multi light sets. My youngest daughter said she's tired of our all white tree and those lights were old anyway, so I said okay. We'll do multi. I tried them all - Home Depot/Lowe's/Target/Sears - and then thought of Kmart. Most were out or they were 50 or 100 light sets. Or ones with lead! Ended up buying the new GE ones from Walgreens, of all places. But Walgreens had them, and on sale too.

But give me Target anyday. I like how the store is laid out well, very clean, plenty of cashiers available. Usually good prices. Not always but most of the time. Our Kmart is laid out poorly, aisle's are too narrow for 2 carts to pass by almost. Main aisle is really cluttered with weekly specials. By contrast, Target leaves that main aisle wide open.

Mary

My boxes do have the lead warning too. Yikes. Shocked the media hasn't had a field day with this.

We still have a Kmart nearby. But I definitely prefer Wal-mart (wayyyyy better selection and prices). Target is nice too, but they're more expensive.

We have a k-mart which is located just about a 1/8 of a mile from Wal-Mart supercenter. I hate Wal-Mart but K-mart ticks me off because they usually have one lane open to check out and it takes forever and a day to get through there. At least Wal-mart has about 15 lanes open and the self scanning lanes.

mrschad wrote:My boxes do have the lead warning too. Yikes. Shocked the media hasn't had a field day with this.

We still have a Kmart nearby. But I definitely prefer Wal-mart (wayyyyy better selection and prices). Target is nice too, but they're more expensive.

Jen - me too! You'd think the media would hop all over this story. Go figure. And to think the only reason I even looked at the back of the box was to see how many strands I could put together. I hate when you have your tree all decorated or outdoor lights up and one strand won't stay lit. If not for that, I may have purchased the Kmart lights!

Mary

Oh Gosh.. I did not even check to the boxes for warnings, I thought in this day and age they would have done away with lead content in everything... I know lead is supposed to be very bad to be exposed to especially if your preg.... now Im gonna worry about that too now

Amanzi wrote:Oh Gosh.. I did not even check to the boxes for warnings, I thought in this day and age they would have done away with lead content in everything... I know lead is supposed to be very bad to be exposed to especially if your preg.... now Im gonna worry about that too now

It's not a big deal, the amount of lead is so small and it's not like your walking around holding the lights in your hand. You may touch your x-mas lights for 15 min twice a year. I think we will all be OK.

:behappy:

CC - Well, I did fight cancer once and won. When something states it causes cancer, I believe it! JMO though.

M.

LOL.. thanks CC.

I am just being the worry wart preggo

Well I guess I didnt lick any of the lights.. not that I can recall anyway

Amanzi wrote:LOL.. thanks CC.

I am just being the worry wart preggo

Well I guess I didnt lick any of the lights.. not that I can recall anyway

WOW.... flavored x-mas lights, something to think about!!

Blue - Blueberry
Red - Strawberry
Orange - Orange Sherbert
Pink - Cotton Candy
Green - Wintergreen mint
Yellow - Buttered Popcorn

CaptinCrunch wrote:

Amanzi wrote:LOL.. thanks CC.

I am just being the worry wart preggo

Well I guess I didnt lick any of the lights.. not that I can recall anyway

WOW.... flavored x-mas lights, something to think about!!

Blue - Blueberry
Red - Strawberry
Orange - Orange Sherbert
Pink - Cotton Candy
Green - Wintergreen mint
Yellow - Buttered Popcorn

ROFLMBO... If that was the case there would not be one green light on my tree... I love Wintergreen

Thanks for this information. I throw the boxes away after we buy them and then place them into organized boxes. If I have to buy more in the future I will remember that. Thanks Miss Mary!

I checked Snopes (not because I doubted it, but because they offer info on strange but true stuff also). They haven't tackled this issue yet, but I looked further and found this article from a couple of years ago.

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/1126025/detail.html

Warning: Some Holiday Lights May Contain Lead
Board Of Health Says Lights Shouldn't Pose Risk To Kids

POSTED: 1:49 p.m. EST December 13, 2001

CLEVELAND -- Holiday lights look pretty, but some brands may not be safe for you or your children.

The wires may have a coating that can cause health problems, according to safety experts. In this week's Betcha Didn't Know, On Your Side

Troubleshooter Chris Caswell reported on how parents can keep their families safe.

Betcha Didn't Know that some lights contain lead. How dangerous are they? Five On Your Side asked the experts.

Tina Madden takes her holiday decorating seriously; her tree wears more than 1,200 lights.

"We went a little light crazy," she said.

But Madden had to shop around for the lights she wanted. Her first stop was Wal-Mart, but after she took a look at the caution on the box, she put most of them back on the shelf.

"All the packages came in with lead warnings on them," she said.

"Lead" is not a word that mothers like Madden take lightly.

"(I have) a young child in the house (who) loves to touch everything and put his fingers in his mouth," she said. "My biggest concern is for his health."

Why is there lead in the lights? Manufacturers said that the lead is mixed in with the plastic of the lights' cords. It makes the wire more flexible, so it's less likely to break. The lead could actually prevent a house fire.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health said that the level of lead in lights should not pose a danger to children, if the lights are handled correctly.

"You would have to burn it, which would then put vapors in the air that you would inhale," said John Sobolewski of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. "You would have to grind it up or hit it with a hammer."

Wal-Mart told Five On Your Side that safety is a priority and that all of the lights it sells meet federal guidelines.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission also said that there isn't enough lead on the surface of the lights to make them harmful to children.

Still, the Board of Health had advice for parents.

"To wash their hands, that is always a good practice," Sobolewski said.

Even though Wal-Mart said that the lights are safe, the store will gladly issue a refund to parents who want to return them.