So, today I went shopping for some random home supplies, and when I got home and started removing tags, I found this warning on my new water pitcher:
"WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after use."
WHAT?! I've seen these signs posted elsewhere, but usually in parking garages and in large buildings. This time it was on my new water pitcher - so I'm supposed to drink water/juice/lemonade out of a chemically-laden container which is linked to serious health problems, but be sure to wash my hands off after I touch it? (The "wash hands after use" actually almost made me laugh... really? Is that going to keep me safe even after I consume the contents within the pitcher??) Are these companies serious? How can they make these products, KNOWING the harm that their products cause to consumers? After I packed those supplies back into a bag to return to the store, I started looking around my house. How many more products/plastics have or should have that same warning? Is it seriously everywhere? How do I protect myself from that? And more importantly, how do I protect my husband and family from that kind of exposure? We think we are safe within our own homes, when low and behold our water pitcher is poisoning us... WHAT?!
California seems to be more 'public conscious' about these things than other states. I guess that's why this is the first time I've seen these kinds of warnings and postings. It turns out that in 1986 they decided it was time to make the public aware of what was going into consumer products, so they passed Prop 65. The website for the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment states,
"The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals.
Proposition 65 requires the Governor to publish, at least annually, a list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
If you are curious what is contained in that list, look HERE. All this is frightening to me. What else is out there - if we aren't excempt from these things in our own homes, what about at restaurants, shopping stores, grocery stores? As a matter of fact, most car dealerships here also display the warning... And the bad news in my house doesn't stop there: we assembled new kitchen chairs last week, and on the bottom cushion there was a sticker that read, "This product contains a known carcinogen." Which means my new chairs could cause CANCER? Is this for real? If I take those back and find some different ones, are there chairs out there made without cancer-causing materials? What do I do? How much exposure is too much? According to the websites I've found, there are certain levels of these materials that are allowed, which supposedly do not cause harm. But if a product is made with chemicals over that allowable amount, the company has to provide the warning on the product...Nice, huh? It's not illegal to use more than the "safe" amount of these chemicals, no. All companies are required to do is provide a warning. Once again, where does that leave me as the consumer?
Some websites offer opinions that say that these warnings go overboard, and that it's just crazy stupid California legislation that requires this. Others say to not take it seriously. They laugh at the warnings, and make fun of them... but if the warnings are there, shouldn't we pay attention? A company isn't going to state that their product is harmful if it's not...
Basically, I've resigned myself to the fact that I can't freak out about it. I can't become so consumed by fear that I can't function in the 'real' world. But I do know that I need to be an AWARE consumer. I need to ask questions and I need to take action with making whatever I can (including my home and my family) as safe and natural as possible. Now I know to look for those warnings before I buy a product. It's not smart to simply just trust and accept that what our suppliers and marketers are making for us is actually SAFE for us and our health. And that's unfortunate, if you ask me.
I'm not sure how many states require these same type of warnings. But I encourage you to look at THIS website, which explains Proposition 65, and can answer some practical questions, if you want them answered. They have sections on air, water, children's health, pesticides, and more. And then, do your own research. Be AWARE. Be conscious of these things out there. Ignorance is bliss, at times. But at other times it's costing us much more than we know. This kind of stuff is worth knowing, I think.
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