COME AGAIN

Target: Our Fidget Spinners With High Lead Levels Aren’t for Kids Anyway

Retailer says it doesn’t have to follow children’s rules as popular toy isn’t meant those under 14.

Parents, beware. Some fidget spinners—the addictive device that’s quieted millions of children around the world—on the shelves at retail giant Target contain high levels of lead, a consumer watchdog reported Thursday. One model, the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Brass, tested at 33,000 parts per million for lead—about 300 times the amount considered safe in children’s toys—while the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner in Metal tested at 1,300 parts per million, according to testing by U.S. Public Interest Research Group. But that’s OK, Target claims, because the popular kid gadgets are not meant for children under age 14, so complying with lead restrictions for children’s toys is not required. “The Consumer Product Safety Commission has reviewed and explicitly defined fidget spinners as ‘general use products.’ They are not defined by the CPSC as toys,” said Target spokesperson Lee Henderson.