ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 21 -- In a unanimous decision today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) confirmed the safety of toys made from vinyl plastics after a four-year review of all available scientific information. The CPSC is the federal agency that helps keep American families safe by reducing the risk of injury from consumer products. Regarding these plastic toys, CPSC Commissioner Sheila Gall stated "... consumers may have a high level of assurance that soft plastic products pose no risk to children."
The vote is a strong repudiation of scare tactics and political lobbying by anti-plastics groups for bans on plastic products that American families use every day. These groups have inundated consumer media with misleading stories claiming that plastics toys may be linked with a variety of health concerns. The CPSC vote makes it clear: the evidence does not support the validity of these allegations for plastics toys.
CPSC Commissioner Thomas Moore also stated, "The clear weight of evidence produced by staff supports the conclusion that children are not at risk from mouthing products currently on the market... Our staff has done extraordinary work on this petition -- by far the most comprehensive work done to date anywhere in the world. I congratulate them on their achievement." He added that their efforts "should calm parents' fear about the potential harm to young children from children's products currently on the market."
American Plastics Council (APC) President Rod Lowman said, "Americans should be relieved by this decision. For too long, anti-plastics groups have scared moms and dads without scientific support, making them question the safety of the products that they and their children love to use. The CPSC -- one of the most respected government agencies -- has completed an independent review and confirmed the safety of plastic toys. This announcement should help parents sleep easier at night, knowing that they may continue to rely on plastic products."
APC is the organization that produces the celebrated Plastics Make It Possible® national advertising campaign. The group helps uphold Americans' ability to choose the many plastics products that make their lives better, healthier and safer.
"Thankfully, the CPSC decision is a victory for science over innuendo and baseless claims," said Lowman. "In our increasingly complex world, on television and radio, on the Internet and in the magazines we read," Lowman added, "we all face an incredible number of claims questioning the safety of almost everything on which we rely in a typical day. Many of these claims are based on rumors and hypothetical risks. It is reassuring to see that science and common sense still can win over scare tactics."
The American Plastics Council is a national trade association representing 24 of the nation's largest resin producers, including monomer and polymer production and distribution. Founded in 1988, APC demonstrates that plastics are a responsible choice and promotes the countless ways they make people's lives better, healthier and safer. Plastics Make It Possible.®
Source: The American Plastics Council. To read more about this issue, please check the CPSC web site.
