CBC.ca Drawstrings are a hidden hazard of children's outwear. They can be deadly. Six years ago Marketplace reported on a number of children who were killed when the drawstrings on their outerwear got caught in fences and playground equipment. At that time, there was talk of a government ban on drawstrings on children's clothing. The ban never happened.
Accidents involving drawstrings continue.
Accidents like one in November, in New Brunswick. As Jonelle Hepditch remembers it, it was a feeling of utter powerlessness. One moment Hepditch was driving behind the school bus that was ferrying her seven year old daughter, Laci, from school. In a twist of fate, her child's life hung in the balance. The drawstring on the bottom of Laci's jacket got caught in the school bus railing.