HAUPPAUGE – As the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the largest crib recall in United States history, Suffolk Executive Steve Levy signed into law the first-in-the-nation prohibition on the sale of dangerous drop-side cribs, which was authored by County Legislator Wayne Horsley.

The lawmakers were joined at the bill signing by Susan and Robert Cirigliano, who lost their 6-month-old son Bobby to a drop-side crib malfunction in 2004, and Michele and Henne Witte who similarly lost their 10-month-old son Tyler in 1997.  

Under the Suffolk legislation, which will take effect in February of 2010, any infant crib with three immovable sides and a fourth side that moves up and down shall be prohibited for retail in Suffolk County.  A February 2009 report issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) states drop-side cribs are responsible for more deaths than any other nursery product, totaling 90 deaths in a two-year span, as well as more than 11,000 injuries over the same period. 

Suffolk’s landmark drop-side crib ban was passed unanimously by the Legislature on October 13, 2009.

“One of the last places a parent assumes their child may be in danger would be in his or her own crib,” said Levy. “We owe it to our youngsters to minimize their exposure to dangerous and potentially deadly products, and Legislator Horsley’s landmark legislation will provide parents with one less hazard to worry about.”

“Our message to crib manufacturers is loud and clear, stop wasting time and stop putting our children in danger,” said Horsley.  “If manufacturers are determined to continue producing these deadly products it is time for other municipalities to follow in Suffolk County’s footsteps and ban them outright”. 

“Since we lost our son Bobby in 2004, my husband and I have worked tirelessly to make parents aware of the deadly dangers posed by the drop-side crib,” said parent-advocate Susan Cirigliano.  “While our work is not finished, today, Suffolk County has insured a collective leap forward in the continuing fight for child-product safety.”

A 2.1 million drop-side crib recall was announced this morning by the CPSC, and the federal government has recalled nearly 5 million cribs in the past two years alone – many of them with drop down sides. Reports indicated that as many as 10 million drop-side cribs have been recalled following initial safety reports in 1993. 

Under the Suffolk drop-side crib ban any person who knowingly retails drop-side cribs in violation of the law will be subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) for initial violations, and a penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each subsequent violation.

Parents who have a drop-side crib in their home are advised to check to see if it has been recalled at www.recalls.gov or www.cpsc.gov.