Shouldn’t you know if toxic chemicals are in the shampoo that you use on your baby? The car seat you use? Or your baby’s mattress? What about the lotion you rub into your child’s skin?
Pregnant women, infants and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of toxic chemicals–in air, water, dust, food, and consumer products. We should be able to keep our children safe, but, often we don’t even know what is in products our children use every day.
Companies that manufacture children’s products should be required to tell the state what toxic chemicals are in the toys, teethers, infant clothing, diapers, strollers and other products marketed for children under age 12, and to make the products safe.
States like New York, Oregon, and Washington have already taken action to require companies to be transparent about the hazardous chemicals they put in children’s products—and it’s time for Massachusetts to do the same.
This session, Clean Water Action is supporting An Act for Toxic Free Kids (S2564) which will require businesses that make or sell children’s products in Massachusetts to disclose toxic chemicals added to those products. It also bans PFAS in children’s products, including artificial turf, and establishes a process for banning additional toxic chemicals. No one should have to wonder if their child’s clothing, toys, art supplies, or bedding contain toxic substances.
Check out our fact sheet on An Act for Toxic Free Kids!
Take action to support the bill here!
Last session, Representative James Hawkins (D-Attleboro) filed H939 An Act for Massachusetts Toxic Free Kids and Senator Cynthia Friedman (D-Woburn) has filed S207 An Act Relative to Toxic Free Kids to require disclosure of toxic chemicals in children’s products. These bills received a favorable report by the Massachusetts legislature’s Public Health Committee but the formal Legislative session ended on July 31, 2022 without the bills coming to the floor for a vote.
Want safer children’s products? Join our Clean Water Action Member List. We will send you updates about the Toxic Free Kids campaign and let you know about opportunities to get involved
