st/toy.pr                                 Contact:  Sue Rogan, (301) 217-7391

CONSUMER AFFAIRS
CONDUCTS TOY SWEEP                       For Immediate Release (Dec. 13, 1995)


      Montgomery County's Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA), in cooperation
with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, has issued an advisory letter to
toy stores in the County to ensure that unsafe and recalled children's toys
are not being sold this holiday season.  In the letter, OCA advised toy store
owners about specific toys that had been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission and urged stores to remove such toys from the shelves
immediately.  Store owners can return the toys to the manufacturers for a
refund or corrected version.
      "We are trying to make sure that the only toys purchased in Montgomery
County are safe ones," said Barbara B. Gregg, Executive Director of OCA. 
Gregg urges consumers who are purchasing toys for children to follow these
rules:
      _  Buy age appropriate toys.  Follow the manufacturer's age
recommendations.  Keep toys designed for older children out of the reach of
younger children.
      _  Inspect toys for any parts that may come off and be ingested.
      _  Don't buy toys with sharp edges, strings longer than 12 inches, or
small parts.
      OCA plans to follow the letter with a random sweep of toy stores to
check for any recalled toys still on shelves.  For more information on toy
safety, call the Office of Consumer Affairs at 217-7373.