Overview
Our product safety net isn’t up to the job of protecting us from
dangerous product. For one, America is facing a hyper-competitive,
globalized marketplace, with enormous pressure to cut costs—and cut
corners.
High-profile recalls of food, drugs and consumer
products has families wondering what else is slipping through the
safety net. In 2007, 25 million toys were recalled because they were
laced with lead or contained small, powerful magnets that could
perforate a young child’s intestines. Before that 60 million pounds of
pet food recalled because they were peppered with rat poison.
Drug-maker like Merck were exposed for selling Vioxx even after their
own clinical trials showed that the drug had lethally dangerous side
effects. The drug ended up ending the lives of thousands after 2
million people were prescribed the drug
In 2008, we worked with a state wide coalition to pass the Children's Safe Products Act through the state legislature. The bill implemented the strongest safeguards against chemicals like lead and phthalates in the nation. This action made Washington a leader in chemical policy reform and, along with our work in D.C., helped convince Congress to pass the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). The CPSIA gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission the resources it needs to enforce product safety standards, strengthens protections against lead, and puts new restrictions on phthalates in children's products.
In 2009, WashPIRG continued our efforts to protect consumers by working to ban the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from baby bottles and other containers. These reforms were stalled in the state Senate, but debate will resume in the 2010 legislative session.
