Problem: Children are exposed to toxic chemicals in children’s products.
Shouldn’t you know if toxic chemicals are in the shampoo that you use on your baby? The car seat you use? Or your baby’s mattress? What about the lotion you rub into your child’s skin?
Infants and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of toxic chemicals–in air, water, dust, food, and consumer products. We should be able to keep our children safe, but, in most cases, even the most aware guardians don’t know what is in products their children use every day.
The Solution: Require reporting of toxic chemicals added to children’s products–and ban the most dangerous chemicals.
Require manufacturers to tell the state if they put toxic chemicals in children’s products. Identify a list of most hazardous chemicals–and ban those chemicals from being used in children’s products distributed or sold in Massachusetts, focusing first on products for children under 3, personal care products, and products designed to be put in children’s mouths (e.g. pacifiers)–and then on all children’s products.
Requires manufacturers to disclose to the state if certain toxic chemicals are in children’s products they make or sell in Massachusetts;
Requires the state to identify high priority chemicals. These are chemicals that are both toxic and known to be getting into people’s bodies because they readily escape from products or have been found in people’s blood, household dust, or drinking water.
Bans high priority chemicals from children’s products. Once a chemical is restricted, businesses will have three years to stop using the chemical in:
Products for children under 3
Children’s personal care products (shampoos, soaps, sunscreen etc)
Mouthable items
And five years to get the chemicals out of products for children under 12.
Children’s products include toys, clothing, personal care products, strollers, bedding, and other products specifically made and marketed to children 12 and under.
