A drawstring (draw string, draw-string) is a string, cord, or rope used to "draw" (tighten) or tie closed an opening in fabric or other material. Typically, the drawstring is loose when not being used, and tightened when needed during use.
Drawstrings are used in clothing outerwear such as jackets (anoraks, hooded sweatshirts), trousers (breeches, pajamas, scrubs), tracksuits, hats, berets and bags (pouch, sleeping bag, stuff sack, money bag, book bags, back packs, garbage bags), and shoes (as a shoelace).
On clothing and bags, an aglet is at the end of a drawstring to prevent unravelling, and a cord lock can be used on a drawstring to keep it taut. A safety pin, bodkin, or crochet hook can be used to pull a drawstring through a hole.
In 1996, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued guidelines for drawstrings on children's upper outerwear to prevent strangling or entanglement on the neck and waist. Drawstrings can lead to deaths and injuries catching on such items as playground equipment, bus doors, or cribs. From 1985 to 1999, the CPSC received reports of 22 deaths and 48 non-fatal incidents with children’s clothing drawstrings.[1] In 2006, the CPSC issued a letter urging certain garments do not have hood drawstrings that pose a strangulation hazard to children.[2] Several recalls due to strangulation hazards have occurred.[2]