The label only tells you that a product has a chemical (or chemicals) in it that might cause cancer (or affect reproduction).The Proposition 65 warning labels might cause some confusion for people who see them, for a few reasons: For example, the required labels on electrical wires such as computer cables, power cords, and holiday lights sold in California are slightly different. Some types of products are required to have specific labels as a result of court orders after lawsuits. The label doesn’t have to list all of them, although the business might choose to do so. As of August 2018, the label should name at least one chemical of concern. Prior to August 2018, businesses didn’t have to specify which chemical(s) of concern were in their products, so any products made before this date might not list any specific chemicals. For more information, go to Businesses are not required to use this exact wording (as long as it still provides a “clear and reasonable warning”), so it can vary somewhat between labels. WARNING: This product can expose you to, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer.
What the labels say and don’t sayįor any product made after August 2018, the Prop 65 labels typically say something like this: The law also has similar strict cutoff levels for birth defects and reproductive harm.īusinesses decide whether to put warning labels on their products based on their knowledge of the types of chemicals in them. So a compound doesn’t have to be labeled if a person exposed to the substance at the expected level for 70 years is estimated to have less than a 1 in 100,000 chance of getting cancer due to that exposure. The law defines “no significant risk” as a level of exposure that would cause no more than 1 extra case of cancer in 100,000 people over a 70-year lifetime. This warning is often in the form of a label on the product or its packaging. When are labels required?Īs part of the law, most businesses selling products in California must provide “clear and reasonable warnings” before knowingly exposing people to any chemical on the list, unless the expected level of exposure would pose no significant cancer risk. This means that not every chemical on the list has been proven to the worldwide scientific community to actually cause cancer in people. Not all of the cancer-related substances on the OEHHA list are considered to be known human carcinogens (known to cause cancer in people) by the organizations above. (To learn more about these organizations and what they do, see Determining if Something Is a Carcinogen.) The State of California can also make its own determinations about specific substances. Organizations designated as authoritative bodies by the state of California include the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, which is part of the World Health Organization), the US National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), among others. One way is if it’s considered by an ‘authoritative body’ to cause cancer in humans or lab animals. There are several ways a substance can be added to the OEHHA list. The complete list can be found on the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) website at It is intended to help Californians make informed decisions about protecting themselves from chemicals that could cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.Īs part of the law, the state is required to publish a list of chemicals that are “known to the State of California to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.” The list is updated at least once a year and now contains more than 900 different chemicals. What is proposition 65?Ĭalifornia’s Proposition 65, also called the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, first became law in the state in 1986. The warning labels can be found on many kinds of products, such as electrical wires, jewelry, padlocks, dishes, flashlights, and pesticides, to name just a few. But people all over the country might see them because many companies put the labels on all items that contain these chemicals, even if they’re going to be sold in other states. Labels warning that a product contains chemicals that may cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm are now required on many household items sold in California.
0 kommentar(er)
