TOILET BRUSH WARNING TOPS ‘WACKY’ LIST

January 24, 2005

A flushable toilet brush that warns users, “Do not use for personal hygiene,” has been identified as the nation’s wackiest warning label in an annual contest sponsored by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch. The wacky warning label contest, now in its eighth year, is conducted to reveal how lawsuits, and concern about lawsuits, have created a need for common sense warnings on products, the group said in a statement.

Over the past twelve months, MLAW has received hundreds of labels–all from products made by American manufacturers–from people living in many different countries. The winning labels were selected by listeners of the Dick Purtan morning show on Detroit radio station WOMC-FM from a list of finalists selected by MLAW.

The toilet brush label was found by Ed Gyetvai, of Oldcastle, Ontario. He received $500 and a copy of the national bestselling book, The Death of Common Sense, by Philip K. Howard. The group hopes the list will motivate “judges to get tougher on frivolous lawsuits.”