The Boy Scouts of America have been around for 108 years and for a good chunk of that time, they strayed far from controversy.
However, the last few years have been a little rocky for one of the oldest organizations in the country.
Now, they've violated a federal policy, resulting in a recall for 110,000 neckerchief slides that make up part of the Cub Scout uniforms.
According to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "the colored enamel on the neckerchief slides contains levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban," adding, "Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health issues."
Lead toxicity doesn't just develop after a single exposure, but it builds up slowly over time and could eventually cause death, noted Healthline. In children, severe lead exposure can have an effect on brain development and cause intellectual disability.
Thankfully, CPSC has not received any reports of illness related to the lead content in the slides, which were manufactured by the China-based Strategic Orient Sourcing.
Parents are urged to return the slides in the "red wolf, green bear, orange lion and blue Webelos" styles to a Boy Scouts retail store or distributor. The metal piece will be replaced for free.
The recalled slides were sold in stores and online at scoutshop.org between February and August of this year.
They have a white "Made in China" label on the back with the following P.O. numbers: 200228276, 20023175, 200233281 or 200236630.
As soon as news of the recall broke, people took to social media to express their anger and disappointment over the Boy Scouts allowing their products to be made in China.
MADE IN CHINA! Why are they getting away with this stuff again?
— Mary Jane LeBeau (@MaryJaneVanHoll) September 28, 2018
One Twitter user pointed out that "Scouts are fully capable of making their own sliders," while another suggested that Americans should start buying more products made in the U.S.A.
Reminder that we should all take a moment regularly to try and swap out something of yours that's made in China to something made here. Give it a try. Swapped out a bbq grill brush recently....
— Jack Devaney (@Eyes_On_It_All) September 28, 2018
