CPSC, Ace Novelty Urge Consumers To Remove Strap From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Chairs

WASHINGTON, D.C.- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Ace Novelty of Bellevue, Wash., is instructing consumers to remove the strap on 69,100 "Teenage Mutant Ninja" foam chairs. Children can become entangled and strangle in the strap.

CPSC is aware of four incidents in which the children ranging between two and four years old were caught under the bandanna-style strap. No injuries were reported and no medical attention was required.

The chairs, measuring 2 feet high by 14 inches wide, were part of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja" series, which features a variety of products based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon characters. Each of the green plush chairs features a yellow seat and a Ninja Turtle head as a backrest. The chairs were sold in four styles, all with model number 28021:"Raphael," "Leonardo," "Michelangelo," and "Donitello." Each chair has a red bandanna around the backrest, red mesh wrist straps on the arms, and a red "R," "L," "M," or "D" in a black stripe along the bottom of the chair.

Toy stores and department stores sold the 69,100 "Teenage Mutant Ninja " chairs nationwide from January 1990 through April 1991 for approximately $19.

Consumers should immediately cut the bandanna-style strap from the chairs and discard the strap. Consumers who have questions about this corrective action should contact Ms. McCoy at Ace Novelty at (800) 759-1223 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST.