Governor Calls for BPA Action
Posted on Mar 3, 2010
Yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick announced new progress on the phase-out of BPA baby products. He directed the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) to prepare a regulation to ban the sale of household products containing BPA. The Boston Globe published a great story today on the Governor’s announcement. This is a big step forward towards protecting the health of all developing children!
We have all worked so hard over the past two years to get to this point. Thank you so much to everyone who helped thus far. Thousands of parents across the state have expressed outrage that they unknowingly fed their infants a hormone disrupting chemical in their baby formula and your voice has been heard.
Read more...
FDA expresses "some concern" over BPA
Posted on Jan 15, 2010 Today the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an update to its position on BPA (bisphenol-A), the toxic chemical that we are exposed to through baby bottles, sippy cups, infant formula and food can linings and many other sources.
FDA states that there is "some concern" about the safety of BPA for humans, and that they will work with other agencies to conduct further research. In conjunction with the FDA announcement, the US Department of Health and Human Services posted tips for parents to minimize children's exposure (such as to dispose of scratched or worn baby bottles).
The agency was criticized by its own science review panel for its 2008 determination that products containing BPA were safe but the new announcement says, Read more...A good step towards protecting MA babies from BPA!
Posted on Aug 4, 2009 Yesterday the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a warning to parents and prospective parents: keep the chemical BPA away from your children, and stay away from it if you're pregnant.
According to a DPH press release, "DPH is specifically advising parents and caretakers of children up to two years old to avoid the use of products that contain BPA for making or storing infant formula and breast milk. DPH is further advising pregnant and breastfeeding women to avoid products that may contain BPA."
AHT has been calling on the state to ban BPA in children's products since last summer. The Massachsuetts DPH has the legal authority to ban the the sale of toxic household products that are hazardous to children. I know that all of us in the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and our citizen activists are glad that this warning has been issued, and we now we're eager for the next step (a ban!). Mia Davis of Clean Water Action articulated this sentiment in today's front page Boston Globe story:
Read more...CA Panel Decides BPA not Toxic
Posted on Jul 17, 2009 In California this week, a science advisory panel declared in a unanimous ruling that BPA should not be listed as a female or male reproductive or developmental toxicant. The science advisory panel in this case is the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant (DART) Identification Committee and their job is to advise regulators in the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) on what chemicals should be put on a list.
The list in question is called Proposition 65, which was established by the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Proposition 65 demands that the state publish a list of chemicals known to cause developmental and reproductive toxicity.
Read more...
CT first state to ban BPA in food cans, MA still lagging
Posted on Jun 10, 2009 Last week, Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed a bill that made Connecticut the first state to ban the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) from infant formula and baby food cans and jars, as well as the full range of reusable food and beverage containers! The BPA bill passed with only one vote cast in opposition. It was truly a bipartisan victory!
Now two Republican Governors, in Connecticut and Minnesota (did not include baby food cans), have signed laws banning BPA in children's products. The people of Massachusetts deserve the same protection as the people in these states. We don't even need to pass a law! So it should be much easier to do in Massachusetts.
Read more...
More News on BPA
Posted on May 21, 2009A new study released online on May 12th, 2009 in the journal of Environmental Health Perspectives tested the urine of 77 Harvard students for bisphenol-A (BPA) who drank cold beverages from polycarbonate beverage containers.
The study found that one week of polycarbonate bottle use increased urinary BPA concentrations by two thirds. Thus, regular consumption of cold beverages from polycarbonate bottles is associated with a substantial increase in urinary BPA concentrations irrespective of exposure to BPA form other sources.
Why is this important?
Read more...Letters to the Editor on BPA
Posted on Mar 30, 2009
Boston Globe coverage of the BPA issue continues!
On Sunday, March 29th, there were three letters to the editor published in the Globe supporting for a ban on BPA in children's products.
You can read the letters from: Mimi Pomerleau of Reading, Mary Dempsey of Bellingham, and Leo Sarkissian of the Arc of Massachusetts.
Industry groups seeking to dupe the public into thinking that BPA is safe also got two letters published. These were from representatives of the Grocery Manufacturer's Association and the American Chemistry Council.
Read more...Messages in Bottles Delivered to Governor
Posted on Mar 19, 2009
Event covered on the front page of The Boston Globe
On Thursday, March 19th, 2009 about 30 parents and advocates from different parts of the State delivered 8,490 messages to the Governor at the MA State House. Some of those messages were delivered in baby bottles.
We said loud and clear that we want baby products free of toxic chemical BPA!
On Friday morning, there we were on the front page of the Boston Globe waiting to deliver petition signatures. Not shabby coverage at all!
Read more...FDA Delays Taking Action on Bisphenol A
Posted on Feb 25, 2009
Continuing to demonstrate its reluctance to regulate toxic chemicals in consumer products, the Food and Drug Administration announced that additional time was required to assess whether it is safe to use bisphenol A (BPA) in food containers.
Though the move may be considered a relative improvement over its previous assertion that BPA is safe, the FDA has ignored a growing body of scientific evidence that BPA is harmful to humans even in low exposures.
Many states have grown impatient as the Federal government has dawdled on the issue.
Read more...Help Protect Children from BPA
Posted on Jan 19, 2009
We should be able to trust that products in our stores are safe!
Sign the Petition to Governor Patrick Today!
Aren't all consumer products safe?
The short answer is NO! Toxic chemicals are in widespread use in common household products. For example, many baby bottles, water bottles, and other products contain BPA, or Bisphenol A. BPA is linked to obesity, early onset puberty, breast cancer, low sperm counts, hyperactivity, depression and other health effects. In scientific studies, BPA-exposed animals have altered development of the male and female reproductive tracts, mammary tissues, the immune system, fat tissue, and the thyroid.
Read more...BPA: The Bottle Toxin
Posted on Jan 9, 2009
Why all the recent press on BPA (Bisphenol A)?
#1. Health Canada has announced that BPA is a dangerous substance.
#2. The U.S. National Toxicology Program has stated in their report on BPA that there is "some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposure."
Where do you find BPA?
BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic, which is widely used for a number of consumer products.
Read more...