Asbestos fibers cause cancer, but to do so, they must enter the body. Inhalation, the breathing of fibers into the lungs, is the most common and heavily researched pathway. Toxic material has been found in crayons before. In 1994, the Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered 11 brands of crayons, all produced overseas, off store shelves because lead was found in the pigments. Lead has been proven to cause brain damage in young children and infants.
Crayons are the unchallenged favorite of children.
Researchers at Crayola, which makes 12 million crayons a day, have determined that by age 10, the average child has worn down 723 Crayons. Today's vivid colors, far brighter and varied then the traditional eight that baby boomers grew up with, can hold the attention of a child for hours. And they don't just use them to make pretty pictures. Children eat crayons, as many parents know. The old shoe box, or whatever a child uses to keep their old crayons, has a layer of bits of wax and crayon shavings in the bottom.