Rep. Kawasaki Introduces Safe Ducky Bill!
Kudos, and a rousing “Ho ho ho!” to Rep. Scott Kawasaki from Fairbanks! He has introduced legislation aimed at protecting children’s health from unnecessary and dangerous chemicals in everyday consumer and child products. The bill would require Alaska to adopt and publish a watch list of priority chemicals of high concern, and would also requires manufacturers to disclose the toxic chemicals they add to products. The bill authorizes the state to require safer alternatives.
“This would be a huge victory for the health of our children,” said Representative Kawasaki, “There are holes in our laws that allow toxic chemicals in everything from rubber ducks to baby dolls. Alaska must ensure that toxic toys aren’t sold to unknowing parents.”
Rep. Kawasaki’s office released a statement explaining that
House Bill 238 would establish Alaska as a leader in safe chemicals policy reform, along with Maine, Minnesota and Washington, which all passed similar legislation. House Bill 238 creates a list of chemicals already known to harm children and a process for Alaska to take advantage of the best scientific research and phase out the use of these chemicals that are known toxins. The bill also requires manufacturers to disclose the use of these chemicals in products and authorizes the Department of Health and Social Services to phase out the use of dangerous chemicals when safer alternatives are available.
“Studies show children are particularly harmed by toxic chemicals even at very low doses because their bodies are still developing and especially vulnerable,” Representative Kawasaki said. “Children inevitably put toys in their mouths and parents deserve to know what is in them.”
Bisphenol-A, a chemical widely used in consumer products such as plastic baby bottles is known to harm children and came under fire recently from government scientists in the United States. The National Toxicology Program reversed a previous opinion by declaring that Bisphenol-A may be linked to a number of common and serious reproductive and developmental problems including breast cancer and early puberty. Under HB 238 Bisphenol-A could be listed as a dangerous toxin which would allow for specific measures to curb its use. The Alaska Public Interest Research Group recently published the 26th Annual Report: The Trouble in Toyland in advance of the Christmas shopping season. It includes important information and tips on toy buying which you can read HERE.
Please contact your legislators and urge their support of this important bill that will help keep our babies and children safe all year long.
I agree. Europe has banned it; our politicians/government rolls over instead of protecting the 99 percent of us.
This needs to be a national bill. Too many of these unsafe products are purchased by Alaskans from sellers that are out of state.
But kudos to Scott Kawasaki for starting with Alaska!
Absolutely! But maybe what we need is for this to start with one state and for the rest of us to ask why we don’t have something to protect our children.
Fairbanks should be very proud of Rep. Scott Kawasaki. I wish we could clone him and have even one of them in our state legislature.
No one in Kansas has the guts or the concern to fight for our children the way Rep. Kawasaki is doing for the children of Alaska.
I should mention that our legislature is dominated by Republicans, which, for me, explains why we have no one introducing a bill such as this. I apologize if Rep. Kawasaki is a Republican, but, if so, he has the heart of a Democrat. 🙂
If Bisphenol-A is toxic,it SHOULD be listed as dangerous,not could be listed. There’s gonna be a fight between paid “experts” from both sides as to whether these chemicals are harmful and at what dosages to children.Ugly kind of comes to mind since I can pretty much assure everyone that rwnj will be protecting profits for their korporate masters at the expense of the world’s children. It costs manufacturers too much to ensure children’s safety even after they curtail a parent’s rights to sue for damages.