Cups contain levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban
BOSTON – Monday, July 24, 2023 – The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has issued a public health advisory related to the danger of lead exposure from the use of 8oz and 12oz CUPKIN double-walled stainless steel children’s cups. The cups were recalled on July 20, 2023 after it was found that they exceeded the federal lead content ban. No incidents or injuries are yet reported.
Cups are sold in pairs and include a matching straw. They come in12 different color combinations that include: blue and green, pink and purple, blue and gray, peach and teal, black and white, coral and yellow, green and pink, polignac and potpourri, brown and beach, rust and salmon, aqua and periwinkle, and cobalt and mint. These cups were previously sold through Soojimus and Amazon, but are no longer available for sale online. Both retailers have contacted all known purchasers directly.
The Boston Public Health Commission advises anyone who owns these cups to stop using them immediately. Parents should take the cups away from children and return them, per the recall. Contact Soojimus for a full refund. More information about the recall is available on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.
There is no safe level of lead in the human body at any age. Children are particularly at risk for lead poisoning because of their small size and growing bodies. Adults can also be injured by lead exposure on the job or through hobbies that use lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause long-term damage to a child, including developmental delay and learning impairment, making it difficult to learn, damaging to hearing and speech, and cause behavioral problems.
In Massachusetts, children must be tested for lead at 9 to 12-months old, and ages two, three, and four if they live in a high-risk community, such as Boston. Parents of children under 6 years of age should talk with their child’s pediatrician to make sure the child is having regular routine blood lead testing so that elevated blood lead levels can be caught early and addressed. You can learn more about lead hazards and Boston Public Health Commission programs to address them at https://www.boston.gov/bphc-environment, by calling BPHC at 617-534-5965, or by emailing leadpoisoning@bphc.org.
