It seems the American Academy of Pediatrics wants just about every non-pureed food you can think of — carrots, apples, hot dogs — to carry a warning label about the risk of choking to children. “Some say other risky foods, including hard candies, popcorn, peanuts and marshmallows, shouldn’t be given to young children at all.” [AP; Free-Range Kids] More from Patrick at Popehat: “What Are Your Child’s Odds Of Choking To Death On A Hot Dog?”
And: For better child safety, think like an economist, says Steven Horwitz: don’t let worst-case scenarios rule your thinking and recognize that every good comes with tradeoffs [Free-Range Kids]
9 Comments
Nanny state to the rescue. How about this, cut the hot dogs up yourself or don’t give the child that round sucker. Be a parent.
How did we ever survive our childhood without the government putting warning labels on our food? Just to be on the safe side maybe we should withhold all solid food from children under 14.
Common sense, Richard, common sense. Something that is being forced out of us by victimization and socialism. It used to be that when you did something stupid it was your own fault. Now if you do something stupid, you are a victim and somebody has to pay.
Is it any wonder that America’s opponents and rivals in the world no longer take American resolve seriously when they hear endless stories about how America’s thinking class trembles in fear of anything that poses the most remote, theoretical risk?
[…] across the blogosphere couldn’t let this pass, like our friends Walter Olson (”Cut grapes into pea-sized portions?“) and Lenora Skenazy (”Surely You Must Be Choking!“). Many newspapers repeated […]
Surely not the thinking class. Just the lawyers.
Bob
Common sense, what our founding fathers called self-government.
On the scale of ridiculousness, this scores an “absolutely hilarious” in my book. Next thing we know, they’ll save us all a whole lot of trouble and provide state issued “bubbles” for ALL THE CHILDREN!!! And, since life is never 100% safe, we’ve got two choices, as we advance beyond the childhood years – a) graduate to a larger bubble or b) go rock in a corner somewhere (unless, of course, corners, too, are deemed unsafe?).
Common sense where are you?
Next they will be issuing permits to even have children. We will have to pass some idiotic test. Those of us who do not pass will never know the joy of screaming at 2 am over a monster in the closet. slippery two year olds you can’t pick when they reach their arms strait in the air. Soggy diapers dropped here and there. a Childs head slammed back into your face because they felt like it. Sticky ??? Teenagers who know nothing but are convinced that person is really you. Trips to the orthodontist because the popcorn smelled so good I only had a few pieces. Boy troubles,girl troubles, huge cell phone bills, and drama over EVERYTHING…ECT.
Mom and Dad’s pick it up quick. If we were this stupid we would not have survived the first week!