From Brandweek:
A Minneapolis boy has died from lead-induced brain swelling after swallowing a piece of jewelry from sneaker company Reebok, the Minnesota Dept. of Health said Thursday. The bracelet was a promotional item that came with a pair of Reebok athletic shoes.
Tests on the bracelet indicated that it was 99% lead, officials said.
A different charm, obtained by investigators from the same brand of shoes, was found to contain 68% lead. The safety threshold for lead content in jewelry is 0.006%, per the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Reebok announced the 300,000-item recall yesterday, just as health officials in the state were getting ready to go public with information about the child’s death, Schultz told Brandweek today.
The recalled product is an 8-inch-long metal bracelet with a heart-shaped charm engraved with the Reebok logo, the Canton, Mass. company said on their Web site. Widely available in stores across the country, the Chinese-made trinkets were given away as a free gift with the purchase of various styles of children’s footwear since May 2004.
