Public Security Minister, Gustavo Mata, endorsed a bill aiming to ban the sale of military, violent toys and video games to minors.
According to Mata, violent toys and video games affect people’s behavior.
We have seen cases in other countries where people, after watching this kind of videos or after having any contact with toy guns, leave their homes, look for a gun and start killing their classmates or friends, or they just go to a mall and kill people,
said the minister.
Mata added that a dialogue with traders and importers is needed to establish regulations on this matter.
Gonzalo Ramírez, Renovación Costarricense member, explained that Costa Rican children should not grow up with toys that imitate guns, and they shouldn’t be so exposed to violence on TV and videos, because that sets the grounds for violence, as the minister of security and the director of the Public Force assured.
The bill will be evaluated by a commission.
The initiative intends to prohibit the manufacture, importation, sale, distribution, marketing and advertising of war toy as well as war, military clothing. The proposal doesn’t apply to military clothing used by state Public Security Force.