Paulson Chips contain toxic levels of lead - Associated Press

[*TT*]

November 8, 2007
Arizona Issues Warning About Poker Chips
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 9:24 p.m. ET

PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona health regulators issued a warning Thursday about a popular brand of high-end poker chips that may contain high levels of lead. The warning about Paulson brand chips -- used in many casinos and sold at retail to gamblers -- came a day after ABC affiliate KNXV-TV in Phoenix aired a story about the potential contamination.

''We're bringing this to your attention because of the potential exposure to the most vulnerable population, the children of families that currently have this product in their homes,'' Diane Eckles, head of the Arizona Department of Health Services' environmental health office, wrote in a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ''There is also a potential for the dealers to expose their families, specifically children, to this lead hazard.''

The television station had 200 of the poker chips tested by a private laboratory, and swabs showed all had levels of surface lead exceeding the EPA limit of 0.06 percent. More than half maxed out the swab's 10 percent limit, which is more than 160 times the federal limit.

More detailed tests in 40 chips for total lead showed that all tested positive, with the lowest having four times the EPA limit and one chip used at a Las Vegas casino containing 45 percent total lead.

Officials with the company that makes and distributes Paulson chips, Gaming Partners International Corp. in Las Vegas, declined to be interviewed by the TV station. Chief Executive Gerard Charlier issued a statement saying it objected to any implication its chips could pose a health hazard when used as designed.

''Although testing has proven the existence of lead in the chips, the mere presence of lead is not sufficient to prove there is a health risk,'' Charlier said in the statement. ''In fact, independent testing has also demonstrated that the simple handling of these chips would not produce any risk of health concerns to the consumer nor to the environment.''

The statement also said the chips have been reformulated and they now only contain trace amounts of lead well below applicable safety standards.

A call seeking comment from Charlier from The Associated Press was not immediately returned Thursday.

Shown the test results, Will Humble, an Arizona health services official who formerly headed the state's lead poisoning prevention program, said he was shocked.

''If you were to take chips like these and spread them out, 1,000 of them on the ground, essentially it would be a federal Superfund site,'' Humble told the TV station. ''That's how much lead is in these things. I've been doing this for many, many years and seldom do we come across products that contain this much lead that are in people's homes.''

[cero_z]

Holy [censored] this is beyond scary. What I can't tell from reading the report is if chips from other manufacturers are also full of lead. It intuitively seems fairly likely. I'm especially worried about the free set of chips I got from Full Tilt, which my 3-year-old likes to play with from time to time. God [censored] damn it.

Those supposedly have aluminum centers, I think, but I am really worried about this. Beyond that, having been a live player for many years, I've handled so many chips for so long.

This is potentially a massive class-action lawsuit in the making, for everyone who's spent a lot of time in a casino. It sounds like there is already something in place, according to the article. ABC News Report

[heater]

"If you were to take chips like these and spread them out, 1000 of them on the ground, essentially it would be a federal Superfund site. That's how much lead are in these things. I've been doing this for many, many years and seldom do we run across products that contain this much lead that are in people's homes."

[Mr_Mxyztplk]

to stay on the safe side, send me all your Paulson chips.

[GSykes]

I am doing some lead research send me your chips.

[bmwguy525]

This whole thing is [censored] retarded. It's just the media trying to dig themselves into controversy. It's been known for a long time that professional weight poker chips contain lead dust.

Here's a quote from one of the leading poker chip manufacturer's in the US:
[ QUOTE ]
Before anyone checks them self into the hospital, there is no danger in handling products containing lead. Lead cannot be absorbed directly through the skin. There are many products in common use that contain lead, example: fishing weights and tire balance weights.

Lead is only a danger if you eat or inhale lead powder. The danger is only in the manufacture of chips not the use.

If you are not eating or snorting Paulson chips, no problem. If you are, you need help. You may have already OD.

[/ QUOTE ]

For more information on the topic that surfaced back in 2005, here's a link to the ChipTalk thread where it was brought up the first time: LINK

[Dmadmonks]

children putting lead chips in their mouth is not good, DUCY?

[J.A.Sucker]

This is clearly over-reactionary for most. If you're not eating/putting the chips in your mouth, then you don't have danger. There's far worse skank/crud on casino chips to be worried about than the lead. All this means is that you shouldn't give chips to your little kids to play with if they will put them in their mouth. This is probably a bad idea anyway, since they are a choking hazard.

Metallic lead is not very toxic, anyway, especially for adults. Lead dust and other lead compounds are what you really need to worry about. However, I think about all the times I used my teeth to close lead split-shot sinkers when fishing as a little kid, and I can't help but wonder if that's why I'm such a demented sicko today...

[Scansion]

tl;dr cliffnotes please these chips are the best.

[DrNo888]

Oh [censored]! My toddler is playing with some custom made Paulson chips. I am sure he put them in his mouth at one time or another. Time to lock them up!