It seems that every year buying gifts and necessities for our little ones becomes harder and harder. Now there is a new low that bans the use of certain toxic chemicals in the toy manufacturing since February 2009.

Toys containing the chemicals, called phthalates, can no longer be manufactured or imported after February 2009…

Sounds great, doesn’t it? However, the new law has a loophole: selling of the old toys with those chemicals continues to be absolutely legal!

The agency [Consumer Product Safety Commission] wrote a letter last week telling manufacturers they can still sell their existing stocks of phthalate-containing toys even after the ban takes effect in February.

What is the effect of the chemicals? How dangerous is it? See for yourself:

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to soften vinyl and other plastics. Congress banned use of the chemicals in toys because of evidence they can have health effects including early puberty, reproductive defects, and lower sperm counts in boys.

So, while “soft plastic toys” sounds too general for a regular consumer, there are some guidelines for parents:

U.S. PIRG offered the following tips for avoiding unsafe toys:

• Don’t buy soft toys made of “PVC” (polyvinyl chloride) plastic. Many of these contain phthalates and may not be labeled.
• Avoid play cosmetics with xylene or toluene or phthalates.
• Avoid cheap metal play jewelry, key chains, and similar products. Many of these products contain lead.
• Avoid toys with small parts that can pose a choking hazard to young children. Bring along a toilet paper tube on your shopping trip. Any toys or parts that fit inside the tube are too small for children aged 3 and under.

Read more at WebMD: Group: Soft Plastic Toys Are Health Risk – Consumer Group Concerned About Health Risks From Chemical Called Phthalates.