Why are they making household products with lead in the cables?

I have bought a vacuum cleaner and a CD player that had caution tags on them warning of lead in the cables. They say the lead is known to cause cancer to the state of California, and there was no warning on the box when I bought the products. The warning label says to wash hands after use. It also said something about reproductive harm. I really don't get it, but it's probably something like the warning tags on mattresses that say it's a crime to remove them, and I should just ignore it. But, it really irks me. Why do they sell these products? Should I be concerned? I mean, I really don't want to have to return these products. That would be a real inconvenience, but if they cause CANCER, then what am I supposed to do? Geez.