Senator Saland’s Bill Banning Dangerous Cribs in New York State Signed by Governor

            State Senator Stephen Saland (R,I,C-Poughkeepsie) today announced that Governor David Paterson has signed legislation the Senator had sponsored to enact a statewide ban on dangerous drop-side cribs. 

             Malfunctioning drop-side cribs have been blamed for multiple deaths and injuries of children.  Very recently, over two million cribs were recalled by the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) due to the dangers they pose to infants and toddlers. Over nine million cribs have been recalled by the CPSC since 2007.

             Senator Saland, Ranking Member of the Senate Consumer Protection Committee, said,  “The tragic death of infants throughout the nation and right here in New York State, is something we had to stop.  I am pleased to see that these defective cribs will not be on the marketplace.”

             The legislation (S. 6356B) has banned the sale, import, manufacture, and distribution of drop-side cribs throughout New York State.

             In the past nine years 32 infant and toddler deaths have been directly attributed to the strangulation faults according to the New York state Consumer Protection Board. Fourteen other deaths are suspected to have been caused by drop side cribs.

            New York State becomes the ninth state to prohibit drop side crib sales joining Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington.  The New York State counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Rockland  had previously approved county-wide bans on the sale of drop-side cribs.