California leads the way

Last week Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that makes California the first state in the country to ban the use of phthalates from children’s products. This is really great news: California has enough market share to make manufacturers stand up and take notice, and on the heals of their decision, other states are also considering such bans. Lawmakers in Texas, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, Maine, Connecticut and New York are expected to introduce similar legislation in the coming months, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, has indicated she will introduce similar legislation in Congress.

Phthalates are a class of chemicals used in plastics, including children's toys and baby bottles, and they are endocrine disruptors. Low doses have been tied to numerous health problems, from baldness to obesity, and birth defects to infertility. Because phtalates are ubiquitous (they are in cosmetics, air fresheners, home furnishings, medical devices, food containers, and many other common products) they have been found in most people tested for body burden (or the accumulation of chemicals in our bodies). To learn more about phthalates, visit the Coming Clean website.