Group issues warning on toys

The Iowa Public Interest Research Group has issued a warning to parents about some dangerous toys. The group’s Amber Hard — an “issues advocate” — says there’s “trouble in toyland.”Hard says some toys on the shelves could choke, strangle or poison kids. However, the worst toy is not new, according to Hard. She says balloons cause the most problems for kids. Hard has a tip for checking the safety of toys.Many of the toys on the “dangerous list” have small parts or accessories — among them: tea sets, children’s make-up and jewelry sets, and some stackable toys which are coated with a chemical the group says is toxic.The group’s list of “bad toys” is on the Internet pirg.org or toysafety.net.