The stories that captured our attention and demanded our action in 2009. Wed, Dec 30 2009 at 2:00 PM EST Read more: GREEN KIDS, RAISING HEALTHY KIDS > 1. H1N1: The biggest story for the year for parents was H1N1, or swine flu. Swine flu was the talk of the web town for months as parents tracked the illness, learned the symptoms, fretted over their own children, and pondered the decision to vaccinate. 2. CPSIA: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ushered in groundbreaking legislation with the passage of CPSIA, the Consumer Product Improvement Act. The act is intended to strengthen the standards for lead and other toxins, especially in products made for children. But the regulations were so strict that many small companies and toy manufacturers were left hanging out to dry. CPSC has backpedaled on the regulation with two delays aimed at helping small businesses meet the standard…
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The FDA has announced that it will blow a third self-imposed deadline on bisphenol A”the end of 2009″further pushing back a ruling on whether the ubiquitous plastic food-packaging ingredient is safe. So it’s still up to consumers to decide on their own whether they should be concerned about the ingredient that’s in soups, juices, drinks, even drinking water and home-canning lids, and is suspected in a wide range of health issues. At the Reno News & Review, Kat Kerlin writes about her experience in attempting a weeklong BPA-free diet. Six months pregnant, she finds it pretty much impossible to eliminate BPA from her life during the exercise, and she ultimately falls off the BPA-free wagon with a thud. Her chronicle is well worth reading for anyone attempting to live by the precautionary principle. Meanwhile, take it from the key federal official in…
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WASHINGTON - If the plastics, beverage and food industries have their way, Americans will continue to ingest the chemical bisphenol A - aka BPA - that is found in many plastic cups, bottles and food packaging materials. To protect the public health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, must move fast to ban BPA in containers, including baby bottles, plastic liners in aluminum cans and food packaging. The Consumer Products Safety Commission must also take action to ban BPA from plastic toys and school supplies, as well as coffee makers. Numerous scientific studies have concluded that BPA can cause neurological problems in babies and young children, and prostate and breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and even impotence in full-grown men. Perhaps, it is that risk of impotence that may move the congressional male majority, who often seem more concerned about their own reproductive abilities than the public good, to vote for…
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