TOXIC BABY PRODUCTS —Cory Nadler of CoPIRG and state Rep. Gwyn Green held a press conference Oct. 12 in the Auraria Early Learning Center calling on the government to put more pressure on child product manufacturers to limit the amount of toxic chemicals in baby products.

CoPIRG Reports On Toxic Baby Products

Even though parents take all available precautions to protect their children, toxic products are a persistent problem.

CoPIRG’s research, published in a Nov. 18 report titled “The Right Start” found toxic and carcinogenic ingredients in baby products such as bath books and teethers. These products contain phthalates and a class of toxic flame retardants known as PBDEs.

“We need to eliminate toxic chemicals from baby products to give our children the right start,” said CoPIRG’s Cory Nadler. “Our government should give parents the information they need to protect their children and ultimately remove toxic chemicals from kid’s products.”

Independent lab tests confirmed the presence of phthalates, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other toxic chemicals in 18 of the 25 products tested.

CoPIRG called on state and federal officials to phase out the most dangerous chemicals, particularly from children’s products, as nine states have already started doing.

Toy Safety Report Released

Standing up for the safety of the littlest consumers, CoPIRG researchers once again warned parents to stay away from unsafe toys during the recent holiday shopping season.

Our annual “Trouble in Toyland” report focused on toys that pose choking hazards, toys that pose strangulation hazards, toys that are dangerously loud and toys that contain toxic chemicals.

“While we can report substantial progress after 20 years of advocacy, we are still finding trouble in toyland,” said Alison Cassady, research director at CoPIRG’s national lobbying office and author of the report.

Researchers found four toys that pose choking hazards to children under three. CoPIRG advocates the recall of dangerous toys, and the proper labeling of all toys.

Over the years, PIRG reports have led to more than 120 Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls.

States Unite To Address Identity Theft

On Oct. 28, Colorado’s Attorney General John Suthers, along with the attorneys general of 46 states and the District of Columbia, urged Congress to protect consumers from identity theft.

CoPIRG has advocated strong identity theft protections for Coloradans, especially after several high-profile data leaks exposed consumers to identity thieves. In 2005, CoPIRG helped pass a law that would allow consumers to place a security freeze on their credit report, locking identity thieves out in the cold.

However, credit card companies and other industries that engage in “data-dealing” are pushing Congress to consider legislation that would override strong state consumer protections.

CoPIRG’s Legislative Priorities for 2006

Look forward to updates on the following bills in the coming year.

• Health Care: A bill that would create a multi-state purchasing pool to lower the costs of prescription drugs and a bill that would make hospitals disclose infection rates.
• Identity Theft: The bill would require companies to report when secure information has been breached.
• Smokefree Colorado: A bill requiring smokefree workplaces, including restaurants and bars.
• Energy: A bill that would give utilities incentives to set up energy-efficiency programs for consumers.