Danger of Strangulation from Drawstrings on Children's Outerwear

Advisory
Potential strangulation from drawstrings on children's outerwear
OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning Canadians about the potential danger of children being seriously injured or strangled by drawstrings on children’s outerwear. Drawstrings, especially on snowsuits, jackets and sweatshirts, can become caught on playground equipment, fences or other objects. Recently, a child in New Brunswick narrowly escaped serious injury when the drawstring on her coat became caught in a school bus handrail.

Parents and caregivers are advised to check all children’s outerwear for loose drawstrings and:

Remove all drawstrings from the head and neck area of children’s outerwear.

At the bottom of children’s outerwear, either remove the drawstrings completely or trim the exposed length to 8 cm, with the garment fully stretched.

Make sure the end of the drawstring is free of knots, loops or toggles, as they can get caught.

To keep it from slipping through its channel, make sure the drawstring is tacked to the garment.

Ensure that new purchases of children’s clothing have alternative closures to drawstrings. These include elastics, buttons, velcro, or snaps.

For further information, consumers should contact the nearest Health Canada Product Safety Office listed below:

Burnaby (604) 666-5003
St. John’s (709) 772-4050
Edmonton (780) 495-2626
Longueuil (450) 646-1353
Calgary (403) 292-4677
Montréal (514) 283-5488
Saskatoon (306) 975-4028
Québec (418) 648-4327
Winnipeg (204) 983-5490
Moncton (506) 851-6638
Toronto (416) 973-4705
Halifax (902) 426-8300
Hamilton (905) 572-2845

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