My daughter is already working on her holiday gift wish lists. The one currently tacked to the fridge is adorable and wide-ranging—but also a hot bed of potentially toxic chemicals, which lurk in trendy stuffed animals, electronics, fuzzy slippers, and lip gloss.
She doesn’t know that she came up with these ideas at the very moment Congress is considering weakening protections from substances found in consumer products like these. We can’t let this happen.
Tell Congress: Protect Our Families From Harmful Toxic Chemicals
I’d obviously love to gift my kid all she wants—within budget and reason—but without robust protections, parents and caregivers like me are stuck in the role of the Grinch, trying to individually suss out product safety. And we have enough to worry about as it is.
A little history: Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 1976. Over time, it wasn’t able to protect us all from the onslaught of dangerous chemicals coming onto the market and entering our bodies and our homes with little to no testing. So in 2016, after very difficult—and bipartisan—work, TSCA got a much-needed overhaul, called the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. Importantly, this gave EPA a way to review chemicals more effectively, before and after they entered the market. This protects vulnerable populations, including kids, but also those who are pregnant, workers, and people who live close to facilities that make and use toxic chemicals.
It should be up to Congress and industry—not parents and caregivers—to keep toxic chemicals out of kids’ toys. But chemical companies and industry lobbyists don’t like commonsense protections, and this administration has proven to be far friendlier to industry than to kids wanting to play safely. If Congress undermines TSCA to appeal to industry, dangerous chemicals could be approved to be in our daily lives without enough safety data or restrictions to protect health.
To be clear, I am talking about chemicals that are known to be linked to cancer and hormone disruption. These things have no place in toys.
’Tis the season has taken on new meaning for me this year. It’s not enough to wrap gifts, bake treats, and make memories. Anyone who has a beloved kid in their life must stand up and act to protect them—and all kids. Join me in demanding Congress keep—and I’d say even strengthen!—TSCA’s toxic chemical protections.
Tell Congress: Protect Our Families From Harmful Toxic Chemicals