Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Playground Danger?
Aired February 11, 2003 - 08:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: On today's "Paging Dr. Gupta," we're focusing on playground equipment that could be hazardous to your child's health. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is taking a close look at certain playsets that are made of wood treated, believe it or not, with arsenic.
With Sanjay on assignment in Kuwait, Elizabeth Cohen joins us from CNN Center in Atlanta.
Elizabeth, good morning.
What's this all about?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Jonathan.
You know, it sounds really odd, arsenic would be in wood. The reason why it's in there, is that it's there to kill bugs and to prevent rot.
Now, the companies that make these kinds of playsets with the wood that contains arsenic have said they will stop doing it by the end of the year. The concern is, what about playsets like you see right here still up? It's unclear how many playsets there are in the United States that contain arsenic. The concern is that kids will play -- it's not going to hurt their skin, but the concern is that they're going to put hands in their mouth, and over a period of many, many years they could possibly increase their risk of lung and bladder cancer.
So what's a parent to do? Well, we have a couple of answers for you. First of all, you can call the people who made your wood playset that you have in the backyard, and ask, was it made with CCA-treated wood, and they will know what you mean. Secondly, tell your children to wash their hands after playing so that they won't be putting their hands in their mouth after getting any arsenic on their hands. And thirdly, don't eat while your playing, and that way you also decrease the risk that kids are going to put their hands in their mouth.
Again, the folks who make these playsets have said they will stop using this kind of wood by the end of the year -- Jonathan.
ZAHN: OK, Elizabeth, my question is who came up with the brilliant idea of using arsenic-treated wood to make playgrounds? And do we know yet how many trial lawyers are lined up to sue these companies?
COHEN: It would be a very difficult suit, I have to say. The idea is, the kids are exposed while they're little kids, and they wouldn't get this lung or bladder cancer until way later in life. And since many people get lung or bladder cancer just because, having nothing to do with arsenic, it would be a very hard case. They thought it was a smart idea, you put it in the wood, it gets rid of the bugs, it gets rid of the rot. I think they weren't thinking that perhaps it could actual actually leech out.
And that's why the Consumer Product Safety Commission is studying whether if you put a sealant on the wood, that might keep the arsenic in, And the results are due out in a few months.
ZAHN: I think I'll keep my kids off arsenic-treated playgrounds regardless whether or not there is a sealant. Thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 11, 2003 - 08:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: On today's "Paging Dr. Gupta," we're focusing on playground equipment that could be hazardous to your child's health. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is taking a close look at certain playsets that are made of wood treated, believe it or not, with arsenic.
With Sanjay on assignment in Kuwait, Elizabeth Cohen joins us from CNN Center in Atlanta.
Elizabeth, good morning.
What's this all about?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Jonathan.
You know, it sounds really odd, arsenic would be in wood. The reason why it's in there, is that it's there to kill bugs and to prevent rot.
Now, the companies that make these kinds of playsets with the wood that contains arsenic have said they will stop doing it by the end of the year. The concern is, what about playsets like you see right here still up? It's unclear how many playsets there are in the United States that contain arsenic. The concern is that kids will play -- it's not going to hurt their skin, but the concern is that they're going to put hands in their mouth, and over a period of many, many years they could possibly increase their risk of lung and bladder cancer.
So what's a parent to do? Well, we have a couple of answers for you. First of all, you can call the people who made your wood playset that you have in the backyard, and ask, was it made with CCA-treated wood, and they will know what you mean. Secondly, tell your children to wash their hands after playing so that they won't be putting their hands in their mouth after getting any arsenic on their hands. And thirdly, don't eat while your playing, and that way you also decrease the risk that kids are going to put their hands in their mouth.
Again, the folks who make these playsets have said they will stop using this kind of wood by the end of the year -- Jonathan.
ZAHN: OK, Elizabeth, my question is who came up with the brilliant idea of using arsenic-treated wood to make playgrounds? And do we know yet how many trial lawyers are lined up to sue these companies?
COHEN: It would be a very difficult suit, I have to say. The idea is, the kids are exposed while they're little kids, and they wouldn't get this lung or bladder cancer until way later in life. And since many people get lung or bladder cancer just because, having nothing to do with arsenic, it would be a very hard case. They thought it was a smart idea, you put it in the wood, it gets rid of the bugs, it gets rid of the rot. I think they weren't thinking that perhaps it could actual actually leech out.
And that's why the Consumer Product Safety Commission is studying whether if you put a sealant on the wood, that might keep the arsenic in, And the results are due out in a few months.
ZAHN: I think I'll keep my kids off arsenic-treated playgrounds regardless whether or not there is a sealant. Thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
