Diverse Coalition Voices Support for Toxic Toys Bill

CONTACT:  
Ivy Sager-Rosenthal, Washington Toxics Coalition, 206-854-7623
Laurie Valeriano, Washington Toxics Coalition, 206-200-2824

Doctors, nurses, scientists, children’s advocates, toy store owners, parents, and environmental groups have joined together to urge passage of state legislation to eliminate dangerous toxic chemicals, including lead, from toys and other children’s products.  The Children’s Safe Product Act of 2008, sponsored by Representative Mary Lou Dickerson (D-36) and Senator Debbie Regala (D-27), will have its first public hearing tonight in the House Select Committee on Environmental Health at 6:00 PM in House Hearing Room B in the John L. O’Brien Building on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.  
 
The legislation aims to head off future problems like those that led to the toy recalls that resulted in millions of toys being pulled off toy store shelves due to dangerous lead paint.  Recent research conducted by the Washington Toxics Coalition shows that the recalls have not solved the problem: many toys and other children’s products available today contain lead, cadmium, and other toxic chemicals known to cause harm to children.
 
“This bill just makes sense—there’s no reason to drag our feet on getting toxics out of toys,” said Erika Schreder.  “Moms, doctors, and toy store owners want action now to end the confusion about what parents can buy for their kids without putting them in danger.”
 
“We have a responsibility to make sure that the toys we give our kids to play with are safe,” said Representative Mary Lou Dickerson (D-36).  “This bill will provide parents, retailers, and others with the confidence that toys and other products on store shelves won’t contain some of the more harmful chemicals.”
 
Many health groups are concerned about children’s exposures to toxic chemicals, including the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Washington State Medical Association, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Washington State Nurses Association, all of whom have endorsed the legislation.
 
“Toxic chemicals, like lead and phthalates, can and should be removed from children’s toys. Even low levels of these chemicals are linked to harm to child health and development,” said Barry Lawson, MD, a neonatologist and former president of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “This bill is a common-sense solution taking reasonable steps to ensure children can reach their full potential.”
 
Toy stores have also endorsed the legislation.  “As a toy store owner, I never want to sell a toy that could harm a child,” said Brekke Hewitt, owner of Wind Up Here, a toy store in Olympia.  “There are many healthy toys on the market.  This bill will make it easier for me to identify those toys and help parents make better choices for their kids.”
 
Specifically, the Children’s Safe Products Act of 2008 will:
 

• End the use of lead, cadmium, and phthalates in toys and other children’s products.  Scientists are concerned about  lead because it is a neurotoxin that can affect a child’s ability to  learn.  Cadmium is a  classified as a carcinogen and is linked to bone loss and increased blood  pressure.  Phthalates are  hormone-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to reproductive  problems in baby boys, asthma, and an increased risk of breast cancer.
  

• Provide consumers with information to make safer product choices for their children by having toy manufacturers report what other chemicals are present in their products.
  

• Put Washington on track to addressing the many other hazardous chemicals in children’s products by requiring the Department of Ecology to study other chemicals of concern in children’s products and report their findings back to the Legislature in 2009.
  

To view letters of support written by the medical community, Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition, and companies selling safer cosmetics and personal care products, visit: