New York Parents Urged to Throw Away Toy Purchased at Five Below

New York officials are warning that a popular toy sold at Five Below is toxic to children and should not be given out on Christmas morning.

Prices on practically everything are higher this year, so stores like Five Below have been a popular place for parents to get their Christmas shopping done. Stocking stuffers and even larger gifts can be picked up for a discount, allowing families to stretch their holiday budget.

Unfortunately, these savings still come at a hefty cost. According to the New York Department of State, at least one toy purchased at Five Below could be extremely dangerous to your child's health.

New York Begs Federal Government to Recall Toxic Toy Sold at Five Below

This weekend, as parents were busy hitting the malls, the New York Department of State issued a plea to the Federal government to recall a specific toy sold at Five Below.

According to New York State Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez, the Striker Remote Control Car toy sold at Five Below is decorated with paint that contains a dangerous amount of lead. Tests conducted by the state show that the white coating printed on the bottom of the car contains 230 parts per million total lead content. This is 155% above the federal limits.

Rodriguez is not only urging the Federal government to recall the toy, but is also asking Five Below to immediately remove it from its stores.

This toy poses a hazardous risk to our kids and should not be on store shelves. I urge Five Below to voluntarily pull the item from its shelves and the federal government to immediately take steps necessary to issue a recall of this product.

What to do if you have already purchased the Speed Striker from Five Below

The Speed Striker is no longer available on the store's website. However, we were unable to verify if it was taken off of the site due to safety concerns or not.

If you happen to have already purchased one, the Department of State suggests that you dispose of it in the garbage. Those hoping for some sort of refund are being advised to set the toy aside in a place where children will not have access to it in case there are any future recall instructions from the company.