Dangerous plastic bags being given to 4 & 5 y-olds at schools?!?

[proudparent1980]

Hi its my first time on MN.

I was checking my son's school bag and saw that the class photos had come (the preview they send to everyone). These are done by Lafayette photography and were sent with two a4 sized plastic bags (which would fit over a child's head), with no holes in, and marked SAFETY FIRST - TO AVOID DANGER OF SUFFOCATION PLEASE KEEP THIS AWAY FROM BABIES AND CHILDREN.

Now leaving aside the issue of sending unsolicited marketing, these must be given to thousands and thousands of 4 and 5 year olds in their bags. I just can't see how it is ethical to do this, in fact it strikes me as clearlydangerous, and I'm sure they do this at many, many schools.

Does anyone else get these photo bags? I wonder if we can get some kind of a mini campaign going to at least get them to change to a safer bag??

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

A 4/5 yo child could easily tear such a bag, were they stupid enough to put it over their heads in the first place. With all of these thousands and thousands being issued, when was the last time you heard of a child suffocating because of one?

I'd worry more about the cords on window blinds.

[lljkk]

I think the warning is OTT.

[JonSnowsPout]

I've googled and found no school photobag related deaths

[MoonRover]

Well let's not wait for the first one JSP.

I say let's panic and let's panic NOW.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

[mrssmith79]

Mini campaign?? Bit over the top .

[AuntieStella]

You need to talk to the school to opt your child out of all future opportunities to buy photographs (as you consider the proofs/order form unwelcome unsolicited mail).

At what age do you think school photographs should begin, BTW? For I suppose another solution is to have none done at all until they are of an age where these items being briefly in a school bag do not pose a threat.

(IIRC, they're sealed when handed out, aren't they? And as most (all?) 4/5 yos are picked up from school there's no reason they would be unattended with the bag - and surely small pupils are regularly frisked for notes and other important items that come home in book bags?

[Lanabelle]

definitely a bit ott, my kids always help bring in the shopping in plastic bags, use plastic bags for bins, get plastic bags when I send them to the shop for me etc and nothing has happened. Just tell your child not to wear it like a balaclava and educate them on the suffocation risks of being stupid like that but OldLady said a 5 year old would more than likely be able to get it off.

[Sirzy]

Completly ott

[ReallyTired]

Unless a child has special needs, I don't think its that much of a risk.

[Leviticus]

I'm writing to my MP.

[JodieGarberJacob]

Oh good. It's raining here and the rugby tickets thread is getting boring.

[Watercolourfootballs]

I think you may be worrying unnecessarily. My children's homework bag is bigger and thicker than that with no holes.

So far they've survived.

To be honest the playground climbing frame is more dangerous.

[BeckAndCall]

How do you get through the day, OP? Is this more about your anxiety levels than your child's understanding of danger?

[PuppyMonkey]

Will nobody think of the CHILDREN??

[scarletforya]

Is this for real?

[HortenMarket]

MoonRover I wish there was a like button for comments

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

Our primary school is reviewing the style of PE bags (with the long drawstrings) as there have been some concerns raised about them, especially for the reception age children. My 4yo is constantly putting things like that around his neck or tying things around his neck, so I can see why there is concern with the PE bags. I was happy to back up the other parents' concerns when the school asked.

I can't say I'm quite as concerned over the plastic packaging around school proofs. I suppose if the OP is very concerned about it, she could take it up with the photography company and see if they are willing to consider providing the proofs in a manila envelope with a plastic window on it instead for the younger aged children (this is how our photo proofs were always sent home when I was a child). No risk with those (except maybe paper cuts ).

[proudparent1980]

Lol thanks for all your messages.
Suppose the post was bit ott but thought Id put the case see what people thought.
Tbh was thinking of just sticking it on their facebook page but its not open so by mini campaign i just meant more than one person raising it to them.
Maybe this annoys me because of the unsolicited aspect. As you say it wd be possible to opt out.
Still though, a couple of holes in the bag wouldn't hurt theyre pretty thick polythene and it hacks me off that they pass it all thru the children rather than e.g. a note saying photos arr available and a website.

[proudparent1980]

It does still happen though, a child died in Derby in march from this. Some figures around stating 25 children a year from plastic bag suffocation in U.s but this may have been before air holes became standard.
I guess more relevant to toddlers. Don't know about anyone case but i check school bag every couple of days. Like the phrase 'frisking' someone mentioned like checking for knives, guns drugs lol.

[proudparent1980]

*Meant to say 'I like the phrase' i.e. frisking makes it sound like that.
The other thing is the scale of this they must send out tens of thousands of the things so you'd like to hope they'd spend an extra 0.00000001p to make them a bit safer