Lead Paint Leads to Recall of Charity Bracelets

A cancer charity in Boston that raised $1-million by selling bright, multi-colored beaded bracelets from China has recalled 200,000 of them because they contained lead paint, reports The Boston Globe.

The charity, called Friends of Mel, says it had requested, and received, a sworn written statement from its Chinese supplier that the bracelets contained no lead paint. But a nine-month-old boy became ill after chewing on one, and subsequent tests confirmed the toxicity of the bracelets. The cancer charity used the bracelets to raise money for Massachusetts General Hospital.

Friends of Mel issued a statement on its Web site explaining the incident.

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