Thursday, Oct 2, 2008    Text size: 

According to CATT, "The industry is plagued by an information blackout. Manufacturers frequently hide behind the phrases 'trade secret' or 'for novelty use only' to prevent consumers and retailers from accessing important safety information about their products. Adult toy retailers have also been lax in making accurate information available to customers. Some members of the adult sex toy industry have also been guilty of providing intentional misinformation, making outrageous and unfounded claims about products, as well as simply being remiss about researching their own inventories."

The CATT website, BadVIbes.org, offers information for sex toy consumers, distributors and manufacturers drawn from scientific studies, news articles and sex industry publications. The site offers links to further information about the materials used to make sex toys and a contact page where readers can contact the organization directly.

CATT is a program of The Smitten Kitten, a sex toy and equipment retailer in Minneapolis. To help inaugurate the site, The Smitten Kitten will host a free workshop, "CATT: Toxic Toys 101," this Sunday at 7 p.m.

The Smitten Kitten is located at 3010 Lyndale Ave. S. in Minneapolis. For more information, contact The Smitten Kitten at (612) 721-6088 or visit the Smitten Kitten website.