Chinese toy maker commits suicide after recall
Categories: Health & Safety Babies, Toys
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If you are like me, you've been wondering how someone who was responsible for exposing hundreds of thousands of children to a hazardous substance could live with himself. Turns out, he couldn't. According to the state-run Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper in Beijing, China, Zhang Shuhong, co-owner of Lee Der Industrial Company, hung himself this weekend. His company manufactured the 967,000 toys that were recalled earlier this month due to high levels of lead in the paint. The toys, sold in the U.S. under the Fisher-Price brand, included such popular characters as Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego.
Chinese products have been getting a lot of negative attention lately due to the presence of high levels of toxins and chemicals. Just days before the suicide, the Chinese quality watchdog group, General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, announced a ban on exports by the Lee Der Company as well as Hansheng Wood Products Factory, which made the 1.5 million recalled Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway products.
According to this article, killing oneself is not uncommon for high profile officials who are publicly disgraced in China. I think it is tragic.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Amy 8-14-2007 @ 10:45AM
The man who was responsible for the tainted dog food that came from China to the US earlier this year was executed by the Chinese government.
Given a choice between being executed and committing suicide, I'm going with suicide, too.
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Meg 8-14-2007 @ 11:29AM
The pet food guy was actually executed for more than just the tainted pet food -- he had been taking bribes to rush through approvals for untested medications, at least one of which (an antibiotic, I think) ended up killing over 10 people. So his crimes extended beyond just the pet food stuff. Not that that's any excuse for executing him, in my opinion. . .
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Nancy Toby 8-14-2007 @ 12:39PM
Well, it sure doesn't fix anything, I'll say that. It seems like it should be an even bigger disgrace to leave a huge mess behind.
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Nicole 8-14-2007 @ 3:21PM
This whole situation just makes me sad. Suicide is a painful thing, regardless of the circumstances around which a suicide occurs. May God be with this man's family and those who knew him.
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SKL 8-14-2007 @ 7:05PM
Your post, and some of the comments, almost sound like this was "tit for tat." A tiny bit of paint with a bit of lead in it is not a great thing, but it's not going to kill children either. Kids ingest a lot more lead from sources where nobody is thinking of suicide.
If I didn't know more about China from inside sources, I'd be shocked and horrified by this. Instead I am merely deeply saddened. It's a whole different world over there, and I don't know if I will ever be able to understand it.
Reply
SKL 8-14-2007 @ 7:06PM
Your post, and some of the comments, almost sound like this was "tit for tat." A tiny bit of paint with a bit of lead in it is not a great thing, but it's not going to kill children either. Kids ingest a lot more lead from sources where nobody is thinking of suicide.
If I didn't know more about China from inside sources, I'd be shocked and horrified by this. Instead I am merely deeply saddened. It's a whole different world over there, and I don't know if I will ever be able to understand it.
Reply