Greenstein, Lampitt: New Federal Report Supports Ban of Plastics Containing Dangerous Chemical

GREENSTEIN, LAMPITT: NEW FEDERAL REPORT SUPPORTS
BAN OF PLASTICS CONTAINING DANGEROUS CHEMICAL
Legislators Say National Toxicology Program's Paper Supports Efforts
To Protect Kids from Bisphenol-A

(TRENTON) - Assemblywomen Pam Lampitt and Linda Greenstein today said a draft federal report that concludes a chemical used in some plastics can put the health of babies and children at risk underscores the need for New Jersey to act immediately to ban bisphenol-A (BPA) from a variety of consumer products.

"This report is the smoking gun that proves BPA can irrevocably harm children," said Lampitt (D-Camden). "There is no good reason that products that contain this chemical should remain on store shelves in New Jersey. Failure to act now will only put more kids in harm's way."

"We have the means to protect countless children from this dangerous chemical, and this report should give us the will to act," said Greenstein (D-Middlesex). "We would never allow our children to play in an area where known toxins lurk. We shouldn't look the other way just because the toxin takes the shape of a baby bottle."

According to a draft report prepared by the National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program (NTP) and reported in today's Los Angeles Times, government researchers share "some concern" that even low levels of BPA can be dangerous to fetuses, babies, and young children. Products with BPA can leech the chemical into the body.

The study marks the first time the federal government has acknowledged the potential harmful health effects of BPA exposure.

The NTP reviewed approximately 500 experiments conducted on laboratory animals, concluding  BPA exposure "can cause changes in behavior and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland and the age at which females attain puberty." Some scientists have expressed concern that BPA exposure also can increase the risk of prostate cancer and attention deficit disorder, among other reproductive or neurological problems.

Greenstein and Lampitt have both introduced legislation that would ban the sale of a variety of products that contain BPA - including baby bottles and children's toys.

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