Legislation to Ban BPA

Two New York senators, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have been working on legislation that will ban BPA (Bisphenol -A) from all products commonly used by pregnant women and children. The accumulated scientific reports clearly indicate that BPA is dangerous to human health, but most especially to young mothers, infants in utero and children.

BPA is a chemical that is used to make plastics hard, clear and resistant to breakage. We’re all familiar with this type of packaging in that it is often used to hermetically seal products. It is also used in the lining of canned food products, water bottles and many products made for infants and children. It is absorbed as it leaches into liquids, as in canned food, or as babies suck and chew on plastic toys.

A critical exposure has been through clear plastic baby bottles that when heated, create a poisonous brew. Infants and toddlers have the highest risk because they have the highest level of exposure at a time when risks to reproduction and neural development are greatest. BPA is also linked to breast cancer, male reproductive dysfunction, autism and other behavioral/ neurological issues in children. Studies on lab animals exposed to BPA have shown increased incidence of  obesity, infertility, behavioral changes, miscarriages, prostrate problems and cancer.

The truth is that this is a seriously dangerous chemical for all of us and it is time that the government take action to protect the public from unwitting exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 95 percent of adults tested have BPA levels at or above levels that cause abnormalities in animals. The Breast Cancer Foundation has reported that more than 200 studies show that even very small doses of BPA can cross the placenta and cause lasting damage to the developing fetus. These doses represent a tiny fraction of current daily exposure to this chemical by most Americans.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California and Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts have presented an initiative to Congress, called HR1523 – Ban Poisonous Additive Acts of 2009. The House and the Senate are considering bills that would expand the proposed ban on BPA to include all food and beverage containers. Part of the problem is that currently, BPA levels are not required to be monitored, much less curtailed. A few companies that had advertised their products as BPA-free were found to still contain the chemical after independent testing by Consumer Reports last month. Until it is outlawed, can we trust what companies say?

So where do we stand now? Twenty-one states and municipalities in the US have issued legislation against use of the chemical including California, Minnesota, Connecticut and Chicago. Janet Nudelman, of the Breast Cancer Fund, states, “It is equally important that the agency [FDA] take immediate action to protect pregnant women and children from this toxic chemical, in light of the clear and compelling evidence that BPA is harmful. The weight of the scientific evidence shows that there is no safe level of exposure to BPA and demonstrates why the FDA needs to act now to protect the American people from this highly toxic, hormonally active chemical.” The FDA states that they need more time to fully evaluate the problem, although it’s been aware of the problem for over 13 years!

You can research more details about the current act called S.753 – The BPA-Free Kids Act of 2009. It would prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of children’s food and beverage containers composed of or containing Bisphenol A, and for other purposes, according to the overview on OpenCongress.com. The bill would also provide funding for additional research on BPA through the National Institute of Environmental Health. If you are rightfully concerned about toxins that are hazardous to your family’s health, consider writing to your congressperson and encouraging them to support this legislation. It’s time to protect our children and the future health of us all.

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