When you go out to buy presents for your kids, nephews, nieces or any other child in your life, what criteria do you use to pick out the perfect toy? I would venture to guess that you look at the price tag, color, age and gender appropriateness. Then, of course, when you have the little one at your side vocally voting for every single item you pick up, all of your own criteria flies out the window and is replaced by how you can keep them satisfied (and how soon you can get out of the store without demolishing your bank account).
And how about peer pressure? “But mom, Dave just got the newest Bionicles. They look much cooler than the one you got for me!” Yes, buying toys for kids is a pretty consuming task. And I am not going to make it easier for you.
Have you, for a moment, stopped to think about what chemicals go into the products your kids play with? The truth is that out of the 80,000 chemicals used to create the products in our homes, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has only required testing of 200. Unfortunately, this lack of testing has led to some dire results. New scientific studies by the EPA have demonstrated a link between Bisphenol A, a chemical used to make baby bottles and water bottles, and a host of medical problems, including cancer and reproductive issues.
Before you label this issue as an alarmist approach to life, here is some research presented by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that uses the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. The nation’s toxic chemical regulatory law, the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed in 1976 and has not been amended since. It is widely regarded as the weakest of all major environmental laws on the books today. According to the Environmental Working Group, “when passed, the act declared safe some 62,000 chemicals already on the market, even though there were little or no data to support this policy. Since that time, another 20,000 chemicals have been put into commerce in the United States, also with little or no data to support their safety.
“The human race is now polluted with hundreds of industrial chemicals with little or no understanding of the consequences. Babies are born pre-polluted with as many as 300 industrial chemicals in their bodies when they enter the world. Testing by Environmental Working Group has identified 455 chemicals in people, and again, no one has any idea if these exposures are safe.”
In an effort to clean up products that affect all of us, most importantly our children, the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act of 2008 has been introduced in Congress. Two identical bills were introduced in the United States Senate and House, House Bill (H.R. 6100) and Senate Bill (S.B. 3040), both identifiable through the title “Kid Safe Chemicals Act of 2008.”
Here are some highlights of the Act:
Require Basic Data on Industrial Chemicals
Chemical companies must demonstrate the safety of their products, backed up with credible evidence. Chemicals that lack minimum data could not be legally manufactured in or imported into the United States. (Section 505)
Place the Burden on Industry to Demonstrate Safety
EPA must systematically review whether industry has met this burden of proof for all industrial chemicals within 15 years of adoption. (Section 503)
Restrict the Use of Dangerous Chemicals Found in Newborn Babies
Hazardous chemicals detected in human cord blood would be immediately targeted for restrictions on their use. (Section 504)
Expand the Public Right to Know on Toxic Chemicals
New, Internet-accessible public database on chemical hazards and uses will inform companies, communities, and consumers. EPA is to rein in excessive industry claims of confidentiality. (Sections 511 and 512)
No, we cannot throw away all of our children’s toys and wait for the day when only safe products will fill store shelves. But we can call and write to our state representatives in this election year to co-sponsor the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act of 2008 and ask them to actively support these bills.
For contact information for our House Representatives, visit www.house.gov; for Senators, visit www.senate.gov. It is important to make our voices heard on this critical issue, both for our and our children’s health.
Subashini Ganesan organizes, researches, writes and implements efforts to create social and environmental change. She is a part-time resident of Maui and can be reached at subashinig@gmail.com.