On September 6, I published an op-ed in MassLive about legislation I filed with Representative Jim Hawkins to ban PFAS and other toxic chemicals in all children’s products.
Click here for the article on MassLive. Read on for the op-ed.
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The federal government is retreating from its duty to protect health, equity and environmental justice. Safeguards upon which we have relied are being rolled back, putting our children at great risk. The responsibility to act now falls squarely on the states — and Massachusetts must act.
We’ve done it before. We led on health care reform before the national Affordable Care Act. We were the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. We’ve set ambitious climate targets that prioritize both people and our planet.
Now, as we continue to learn more about the pervasive presence and dangerous impact of toxic chemicals in children’s products, we must redouble our efforts to ensure our children are protected.
Far too many everyday items — toys, clothes, pajamas, diapers and personal care products — contain chemicals known to cause lasting harm. Chemical exposure in early life has been shown to be a significant factor contributing to increased rates of disease and learning challenges.
Medical associations from American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology to the Endocrine Society and the American Association of Pediatrics have raised alarms about the connection between toxic exposures and rising (doubling, and even tripling in some instances) rates of childhood cancers, asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders and reproductive health problems.
These harms aren’t theoretical; they are showing up in our families, our classrooms and our hospitals.
Among the most troubling are PFAS chemicals — so-called “forever chemicals” that don’t break down in the environment or in our bodies. PFAS are used to make products stain-, water-, and grease-resistant, but that convenience comes at a terrible cost.
And PFAS chemicals are just the beginning. Phthalates, arsenic, cadmium, bisphenols, vinyl chloride, and other dangerous substances are still being detected in children’s products. These childhood exposures don’t happen in laboratories — they happen when a toddler chews on a toy, or when a child curls up in pajamas after a bath.
That’s why state Rep. Jim Hawkins and I filed “An Act Relative to Toxic Free Kids” (S.195 / H.384). Our bill bans PFAS from all children’s products immediately. It also requires manufacturers to disclose toxic chemicals in their products and mandates state review of high priority chemicals known to leach into our homes and bodies.
Our bill then bans these high priority chemicals from children’s products — giving manufacturers three years to get them out of products for children under age three, as well as from personal care products across the board, and five years for products for children aged three to 12.
Other states aren’t waiting. Oregon, Washington, and New York have all passed toxic-free kids laws (with Oregon’s law having passed 10 years ago). Eight states, including Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont have already banned PFAS in children’s products. Massachusetts cannot not lag behind.
Protecting children from preventable, lifelong harm should not be up for debate.
