Because their bodies are developing, children are the most
vulnerable to harmful chemicals. Children are also more likely
than adults to use a product in ways the manufacturer never
intended. It’s common sense: products meant for children
should be safe for children, even when they’re touched,
chewed, or broken apart.
Yet we lack strong laws and rules to ensure children’s
products are made free of harmful chemicals. We all, as a
society, foot the bill when chronic diseases are on the rise, but
most acutely affected are the families who now must bear the
emotional, financial, and physical burden of wholly preventable
environmental illnesses.
Additionally, phasing out harmful and unnecessary chemicals in
children’s products will have a lasting effect on both the health
of New York’s children as well as the environment. The chemicals
found in many children's products have a way of finding their way
into the environment, be it through the air, water, or when these
products are eventually thrown away and end up in the
landfill.
Fortunately,
New York State is poised to lead the way. The
Child Safe Products Act (S.501-B/A.6296-A), sponsored by Senator
Kaminsky and Assemblymember Englebright, creates a framework for
protecting children and our environment. By requiring product
makers to disclose chemicals of concern and restricting the use
of some of the most harmful chemicals, the Child Safe Products
Act (CSPA) is a tremendous step forward. Through your support,
the initiative passed both houses of the legislature as part of
the first joint Earth Day Package coordinated by the Assembly and
Senate.
Sierra Club is devoted to protecting public health and the
environment by decreasing exposure to hazardous substances
through reducing toxic chemicals in consumer products and in
educating consumers about the potential risks of hazardous
substances such as endocrine disruptors, formaldehyde, lead,
mercury, and other persistent toxins that often end up in our
air, water, and natural places.
