Disappointment in the land of Tiki mugs

While I was combing the beaches of Santa Cruz the other week I happened to make my way to the famous Boardwalk (which I sadly must admit was my first visit). I was totally blown away by all the cool things I have been missing out on. A pirate store, pirate mini-golf, and tons of tiki mugs. The mugs were kept in a glass class and could only be retreived by an employee, so I just pointed out the ones I wanted to purchase and the guy behind the desk grabbed them, wrapped them, and rang me up. I get home and I'm psyched to unwrap my new treasures and possibly enjoy a beverage from my favorite purchase, just a simple handled mug with a great lookin palm tree painted on the side. I look at the bottom to remove the price stickers when I come across a sticker stating "WARNING: this product will expose you to lead and cadmium, chemicals known to the State of California to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm." I let out a sigh of disappointment and sulked for a few minutes while contemplating whether it was worth the risk. I eventually just put it up as decoration, never to be used for its intended purpose. I figured this might be a common set back to some out in the collecting world, does anyone come across this sort of thing regularly?

I HATE Tiki Mugs that you can't drink out of. I mean, what's the point????

Unless of course the mug is #1 of only 25 and hand painted or something otherwise why bother.

My 2 cents,
Jeff

I wouldn't worry about it. Manufacturers of some leaded glass items or out of country-made ceramics with lead-based paints were sued, and then all similar manufacturers put a warning on theirs, even if its not needed, just to avoid a lawsuit. Even if there is lead in the paint on the mug, it only leaches out if you leave alcohol in the mug for DAYS before you drink it - thus, drink it down quick and you'll be fine...

The warning is due to a unique California law known as Proposition 65. If there is even a small hint of a cancer causing agent in the material, it must be labeled or the company can be sued by an attorney (and the attorney gets to keep most of the money although the attorney is supposedly suing for the benefit of all the citizen's of California.) Some of these warning signs show up at very unusual places such as parking garages (exhaust fumes in an enclosed area), Ceramics and my favorite was at a sushi bar because the fish could contain mercury which is a carcinogen. This is one of the most unusual laws on the books and written so it can not be modified to make any sense.

My advice is if you want to drink out of the mug, drink away. Just make sure you clean it really well before you use it.

Look at me, I drink out of them all the time, and I'm just fine

....................DOH!

The local Target stores around here do the same thing with some of the fancier diningware. I found some very cool little rice bowls and dipping bowls for Chinese Food night with the Missus, and same thing, all of them said that using them would expose you to lead, etc etc. I wound up buying something from Crate and Barrel (FOR SHAME!) instead, but at least it don't have lead in it.
My understanding of all this, coincides with what others have posted. The fact that lead exists somewhere in the product must be advertised, even if your chances of getting sick/cancer from it are 0%.
Leaded crystal falls under the same category. My thoughts, and I've heard this from others in the medical community-- if you have diningware, etc with lead in it, such as crystal, or homemade ceramics, you're not going to get lead poisoning from using it once in a while-- you'd only bring out your leaded crystal champagne glasses for the nicest of occassions. If you're not using this particular tiki mug every day, you're probably okay. Now if you're using it multiple times every day, you might have an issue.
I remember reading in the Health section of the newspaper a few years ago about a woman who was using a serving platter that she had inherited from her Grandmother's estate. The platter had been made in Mexico or something, was homemade, and had some lead in it. Well, this lady used this platter everyday, and within a few years everyone in her family had lead poisoning. They didn't die or anything, just got sick. She was curious why they never got sick before, and it's because the Grandmother used it very rarely. The lead exposure in small amounts is not going to make you really sick or anything. Being exposed to small amounts every day will add up.

No worries. The only unsafe glazes are red and unless that mug is glazed red inside, there is zero problem. Even if it was red, you have only a slight concern. Why? Because we drink cold beverages out of the mugs. The leeching of the chemicals is really only a concern when you pour hot liquids in. There are unsafe glazes I am sure, just to cover my ass, that are not red. But no one will make a mug or plate using these glazes. It's just a very over-protective thing with that sticker. No worries whatsoever.

If you own one of the very fancy new mugs with a red glaze, you can be sure that either A) that is a very expensive mug (red is the costliest) and you won't ever drink out of it anyway or B) You are drinking anyway, knowing it would take a lot of cold drinks to ever matter at all.

A liitle more in this post by St. Thomas.

On 2006-08-04 13:09, Swanky wrote:
No worries. The only unsafe glazes are red and unless that mug is glazed red inside, there is zero problem. Even if it was red, you have only a slight concern. Why? Because we drink cold beverages out of the mugs. The leeching of the chemicals is really only a concern when you pour hot liquids in. There are unsafe glazes I am sure, just to cover my ass, that are not red. But no one will make a mug or plate using these glazes. It's just a very over-protective thing with that sticker. No worries whatsoever.

If you own one of the very fancy new mugs with a red glaze, you can be sure that either A) that is a very expensive mug (red is the costliest) and you won't ever drink out of it anyway or B) You are drinking anyway, knowing it would take a lot of cold drinks to ever matter at all.

A liitle more in this post by St. Thomas.

Hey there - As a maker of red tiki mugs I just want to chime in here. First off, there are TONS of VERY poisonous glazes in EVERY color! Metallics (and many other neat colors/effects) usually contain lead. I'd say a good 40% of the glazes at the ceramic supply store I shop at are not food safe (which can be very frustrating when you fall in love with a poisonous color!). It is true that high fire red glazes were poisonous way up into the 80's. For a while glaze manufacturers were using "micro bubbles" of poisonous red glaze trapped in a protective bubble. While micro bubble red glazes were certified food safe, all the ceramic artists and schools I knew didn't trust them. In the 90's true food safe high fire red colors became available, and that is what I use on my mugs. The food safe high fire red is expensive and tricky to apply (needs 4 to 5 coats), and it isn't a deep "fire engine red" - but at least it won't kill you!

And that, folks, is my Tiki Two Cents!

VanTiki

I agree with all of the above, all our glazes are made to be food and alcohol safe and then tested and certificated whatever colour.
But it is not only Hot drinks that can cause leeching in old glazes, Alcohol and fruit juices are especially bad.
Saying that you do need to use a mug one hell of a lot before it could effect you, don't know how it is in the states but I grew up with lead water pipes and have had no adverse effects I cant put down to over excess in other areas.

Jeff Central, almost all of your mugs are #1. What do you drink out of?

On 2006-08-05 07:28, tikiskip wrote:
Jeff Central, almost all of your mugs are #1. What do you drink out of?

Oh they are not!! :wink:

Beer glasses baby!!

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

[ Edited by: Jeff Central 2006-08-05 13:11 ]

"really only a concern when you pour hot liquids in", I was going to say that Orange juice is on the acid side and can leech out the bad stuff. More so if left in the cup for a longer period of time. Lead is a no for sure and never should be use to eat or drink from. Lead often makes for some of the best glaze colors too, how ironic. There are other chemicals that are not so good too. I always hear that if the colors are matte there is a better chance of this over glossy finishes. The glassy finish locks the chemicals in better.

I once saw a lead glaze that looked like metal flake paint with a candy and gloss over it. It sparkled like a million stars. Would still love to see that on the outside of a tiki mug away from harms way.