Crayons and Asbestos
There have been recent allegations in the news concerning the alleged presence of asbestos in crayons. A Seattle, Washington based newspaper (seattlep-i.com) has issued claims that crayons manufactured by Crayola, Roseart, and Prang are produced with asbestos-containing talc. All three companies have issued statements that their products are safe and asbestos-free.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is currently conducting
their own independent analysis of the crayons. The CPSC has not
yet issued any official statement or recall notice concerning these
products. Once the CPSC tests are complete, a statement will be
issued at www.cpsc.gov 
.
Additional information on this issue may be found at the following sites:
Questions on asbestos may be directed to The Office of Facilities Planning at 518-474-3906 or emscfp@nysed.gov.