The US government has issued a notice that companies that make or distribute toys or other children's products that include lead will face increased scrutiny as a part of a move to avoid lead poisoning in children.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will now be making contact with up to 120 importing and manufacturing companies by the end of April to instruct them to provide health and safety studies if any lead might be found in the products they make for children.

The risks posed by lead poisoning have been known for decades and are so severe that in the 1980s the petroleum industry was forced to eliminate lead from gasoline - and it's certainly not every day that the oil industry changes its product line in the face of social and health concerns.

So the question is, why is there any lead in children's products in the first place?

Making children's toys from lead is about as intelligent as allowing mercury into the food chain or dumping sewage into drinking water sources. Rather than patting the government on the back for this move, its time to get aggressive with the companies that are placing known poisons in children's toys in the first place.