The Infants and Toddlers Act will Protect Children from BPA
SACRAMENTO - Today California moved one step closer to protecting the health of children when the Assembly took a final vote to send the Toxin-Free Infants and Toddlers Act (AB 1319) to the Governor for his signature. AB 1319, by Assemblymember Betsy Butler (D-Marina del Rey), bans the toxic chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby products.
"I applaud the California Legislature and Betsy Butler for passing this historic bill that will make California the 11th state to pass a ban on the dangerous chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in certain baby and toddler feeding products," said U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, author of SB 136, the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2011. "With the passage of the Toxin-Free Infants and Toddlers Act, the California legislature has taken an important first step to protect vulnerable babies and toddlers from the harmful health effects of BPA. I'll continue to work to achieve a nationwide ban on BPA in all children's feeding products."
"California is now just one final step away from banning BPA after years of fighting to give families access to safe, non-toxic baby products," said Assemblymember Butler. "Despite intense lobbying by the chemical industry, protecting the health of our children has prevailed. With the Governor's signature, California will finally join numerous other states and countries in banning this toxic chemical and protecting our most vulnerable citizens."
BPA is an artificial hormone and endocrine disruptor widely used in shatter-proof plastic baby bottles and sippy cups. BPA leaches out of containers and into food and drink. It has been linked to a host of health problems, including early puberty, breast and prostate cancer, infertility, obesity and neurological and behavioral changes, including autism and hyperactivity.
Specifically, the bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of baby bottles and sippy cups designed for children three years of age and younger that contain more than 0.1 parts per billion (ppb) of BPA.
AB 1319 is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics of California, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the California Medical Association and the California Nurses Association as well as numerous other environmental and children's organizations.
If AB 1319 is signed into law, California will join ten other states in the United States that have enacted bans on BPA in baby bottles and other feeding products for children. BPA has been banned in China, Canada and the European Union.
In addition, several key federal agencies and scientific bodies have stated official concern about the safety of BPA including the National Institutes of Health (National Toxicology Program), the Food and Drug Administration, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the President's Cancer Panel.
CONTACT: Jennifer Wonnacott, (310) 615-3515
