|
 Score another one for the foes of the controversial plastic additive called BPA.On the heels of similar bans put in place by Minnesota, a New York county, and federal legislation now pending that would ban its use in certain products across the United States, Chicago leaders have approved a citywide measure that would outlaw baby bottles and sippy cups containing bisphenol A, better known as BPA.
BPA is a chemical additive used to make clear, hard plastic bottles more shatterproof. It also is used to line the insides of many aluminum beverage cans and infant formula containers. The chemical is increasingly being linked to severe developmental delays in growing children.
Because BPA can mimic the hormone estrogen inside the body, it has been associated with permanent injury, particularly in children. It is so widely used in so many consumer products that most Americans have trace amounts of the chemical in their blood. In higher amounts and in young children, it can be devastating.
Some laboratory testing has revealed a link between BPA and breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, and certain neurological disorders. The Food and Drug Administration has said that BPA is safe when used at currently established limits. Officials in Canada and some European countries, however, have taken a harder stand against BPA and banned its use altogether.
Other BPA Bans in Place
Earlier this year, Suffolk County, New York became the first county in the U.S. to formally ban BPA in infant bottles and sippy cups. Minnesota implemented a statewide ban in 2008 and Congressional and Senate leaders recently introduced companion legislation which, if approved and made law, would ban the chemical from being used in any of the products designed for children.
Some of the world’s largest sellers and makers of infant bottles and sippy cups have announced they will stop using BPA in their baby bottles and sippy cups, due largely to growing public concern about the effects on children exposed to BPA. Wal-Mart, Toys “R” Us and CVS are among the stores that have instituted their own bans on children’s products containing BPA.
So, Chicago leaders join a growing chorus of anti-BPA sentiment that appears to be winning the battle to keep the controversial chemical out of children’s products. The version of the new citywide ordinance approved today would prohibit BPA from “any empty bottle or cup specifically designed to be filled with food or liquid to be used primarily by a child under the age of 3.”
Stiff Penalties for Violators
If given final approvals, the Chicago ordinance would take effect Jan. 31, 2010. Retailers who violate the law and continue to sell targeted BPA products could have their city business licenses suspended or revoked, officials said. Offenders also would face fines ranging from $100 to $300 a day for a first offense to $300 to $500 for repeat offenses.
Also as part of the new law, stores in Chicago would be required to post signs telling consumers that the children’s items sold there do not contain BPA. Chicago leaders said they expect other cities across the U.S. to follow suit with their own BPA bans.
We applaud Chicago for taking the lead on efforts to keep BPA out of the hands of children. We agree that other cities should draft and pass similar measures to protect their own citizens from unnecessary and preventable harm.
|
