What do Cadmium, Antimony, Arsenic, Bromine, Formaldehyde, Phthalates, BPA, Mercury, Lead, and other Chemicals/Heavy Metals have in common? The disturbing answer is toys! TOYS!
A staggering amount of chemicals that have been associated with developmental and learning disabilities, reproductive and hormone problems, various forms of cancer as well as a myriad amount of other ailments that have been scientifically documented as climbing steadily upwards since the chemical revolution began.
As a parent I have trouble putting the words "Chemicals" and "Technological Advancement" in the same sentence as "Responsibility", "Health", "Foresight", and "Safety". The studies have been done, the information is clear, the facts are out there yet there doesn't seem to be any distinctive or solid laws in place to protect the public from KNOWN or SUSPECTED harmful substances. Did you know that even the words "non-toxic" on labels are not enforced by any solid laws nor are there clear regulations or set standards for the definition. As a Parent that's not only frightening but outright ridiculous! ( http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/label.cfm?LabelID=131 )
Why? Imagine the chemical manufacturers if a law was passed - how many millions/billions of items would have to be pulled off the shelves? Production would stop! Billions of dollars would be lost not only by the companies themselves and the labs creating these substances but by the Government as well. The chemical companies would have to do a 180 and change to adhere to laws and regulations for the sake of public safety! Is this why it hasn't happened yet? Is it profit vs health and safety? If that's not the case then WHY haven't changes been made? WHY haven't preventative measures been addressed? WHY haven't repeat offenders been shut down permanently (and not allowed to reopen under another name/lable/company)? It seems that a slap on the hand and a couple of thousand dollar fines is all they get - to a multi billion dollar company what's a few thousand here and there? To a parent who's child has suffered at the hands of chemical exposures, toxic overload, birth defects, etc. the ultimate price has been their children's health! It's cumulative, the effects of which are sometimes irreversible in children! A great example of this is Lead poisoning! It causes brain damage in children and that is something that we have no "cure" for! So why is this toxic heavy metal still in our toys/food/air/etc.!!!!?
Now I realize that most of the information about these issues are not being taught to parents nor are they brought forth in the public eye as they should. So I understand the lack of knowledge or awareness by the general public. However there are a number of growing movements by concerned parents/people like you and I that are slowly surfacing. As we are pounding the pavement hard and making our voices heard in an attempt to lift the veil on what is really going on around us. We are trying to raise awareness and protect our children and future generations so that they CAN have a healthy and safe future! Not just our children but all children! I truly believe that education and insight are key! Awareness is crucial and research is critical for any parent in the 21st century! Turning a blinds eye is not going to make matters better nor is it going to change the path that our futures will take. Only by making our voices heard and DEMANDING change for the health and welfare of our families will things take a turn for the better...
There are thousands of new chemicals being created every year, most of which have not been properly tested. If they had then we would not have PVC baby toys or BPA in our baby bottles, lead paint on the toys our children place in their mouths. These things would NEVER have made it to market! There are recalls for toys containing toxic chemicals all the time - ever wonder how these things make it to the shelves? They don't get recalled right away either! How is a Parent to keep up with all the recalls? How can we be sure that the products we have are safe? What about all the non-recalled items that STILL contain the chemicals I mentioned? It's not only toys but also food, bath, and baby products, the list is long and the research and work a parent must go through to protect their children is hard and tiresome! What is a parent to do? If the proper preventative measures were in place toxic substances/chemicals wouldn't even be a parental issue or concern - but it is!!
Become aware and spread the word to other parents. Whether you find an article, see a news reel, read a magazine - it's important to share it with other parents. We need to help each other become aware of the perils that face us in this generation that have not faced previous generations on such a grand scale. While we worried about diseases and germs in past centuries - this century we crossed over to the other side and are now under fire with chemicals in our system. Childhood Cancers, Childhood Obesity, Childhood Asthma, Diabetes, ADD, ADHD, Autism the list goes on and on and the number are rising each and every year!
So the only thing to do now is take a deep breath, take a step back, and open both our eyes. Face forward and look to the future. Take one day at a time and research about Toys, Products, Food, Water, the Environment. If not for our sake then for the sake of our children and their future! Align yourself with reliable sources of information and take the time to research. You will find as you research that one door leads to another, one bit of information will introduce you to another. Take it one step at a time, there is a lot of information and a lot of resources out there don't get overwhelmed.
A staggering amount of chemicals that have been associated with developmental and learning disabilities, reproductive and hormone problems, various forms of cancer as well as a myriad amount of other ailments that have been scientifically documented as climbing steadily upwards since the chemical revolution began.
As a parent I have trouble putting the words "Chemicals" and "Technological Advancement" in the same sentence as "Responsibility", "Health", "Foresight", and "Safety". The studies have been done, the information is clear, the facts are out there yet there doesn't seem to be any distinctive or solid laws in place to protect the public from KNOWN or SUSPECTED harmful substances. Did you know that even the words "non-toxic" on labels are not enforced by any solid laws nor are there clear regulations or set standards for the definition. As a Parent that's not only frightening but outright ridiculous! ( http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/label.cfm?LabelID=131 )
Why? Imagine the chemical manufacturers if a law was passed - how many millions/billions of items would have to be pulled off the shelves? Production would stop! Billions of dollars would be lost not only by the companies themselves and the labs creating these substances but by the Government as well. The chemical companies would have to do a 180 and change to adhere to laws and regulations for the sake of public safety! Is this why it hasn't happened yet? Is it profit vs health and safety? If that's not the case then WHY haven't changes been made? WHY haven't preventative measures been addressed? WHY haven't repeat offenders been shut down permanently (and not allowed to reopen under another name/lable/company)? It seems that a slap on the hand and a couple of thousand dollar fines is all they get - to a multi billion dollar company what's a few thousand here and there? To a parent who's child has suffered at the hands of chemical exposures, toxic overload, birth defects, etc. the ultimate price has been their children's health! It's cumulative, the effects of which are sometimes irreversible in children! A great example of this is Lead poisoning! It causes brain damage in children and that is something that we have no "cure" for! So why is this toxic heavy metal still in our toys/food/air/etc.!!!!?
I'm all for supporting cancer research and finding a "cure" but it's a post reaction to a growing problem! What about "Prevention" preventing cancer by looking at what causes it! Scientists know for a FACT that certain chemicals, additives, toxins, etc have been linked and "suspect" for contributing or directly causing cancer in experiments and studies! So WHY are these things still on the market? In Toys? In Food? In Products? It's prevention we should be concentrating on AS WELL not just a "cure"! To me it's a band aid solution! Being reactive rather than pro-active is the sad state of affairs that we all seem to be subjected to... The stats say that we are living longer than previous generations - which might be true but what about the "quality" of life in terms of health? It's not quantity it's quality. We have more obese/overweight people/kids than ever, we have more cancer, diabetes, asthma, ADD, ADHD, Birth Defects etc. than any other previous generation. So while we are living longer - we are living unhealthier and with more problems than before!
Now I realize that most of the information about these issues are not being taught to parents nor are they brought forth in the public eye as they should. So I understand the lack of knowledge or awareness by the general public. However there are a number of growing movements by concerned parents/people like you and I that are slowly surfacing. As we are pounding the pavement hard and making our voices heard in an attempt to lift the veil on what is really going on around us. We are trying to raise awareness and protect our children and future generations so that they CAN have a healthy and safe future! Not just our children but all children! I truly believe that education and insight are key! Awareness is crucial and research is critical for any parent in the 21st century! Turning a blinds eye is not going to make matters better nor is it going to change the path that our futures will take. Only by making our voices heard and DEMANDING change for the health and welfare of our families will things take a turn for the better...
There are thousands of new chemicals being created every year, most of which have not been properly tested. If they had then we would not have PVC baby toys or BPA in our baby bottles, lead paint on the toys our children place in their mouths. These things would NEVER have made it to market! There are recalls for toys containing toxic chemicals all the time - ever wonder how these things make it to the shelves? They don't get recalled right away either! How is a Parent to keep up with all the recalls? How can we be sure that the products we have are safe? What about all the non-recalled items that STILL contain the chemicals I mentioned? It's not only toys but also food, bath, and baby products, the list is long and the research and work a parent must go through to protect their children is hard and tiresome! What is a parent to do? If the proper preventative measures were in place toxic substances/chemicals wouldn't even be a parental issue or concern - but it is!!
What I find interesting and disheartening is the number of people that are under the impression that "everything has chemicals in it", "everything is bad in one way or another" and the lackadaisical attitude some of us have about toys, foods and products - our children's health and our future. The notion that "if it wasn't safe it wouldn't be on the shelves" just confirms to me that people have no idea what's really going on. They believe that the same companies who reap the profits and benefits from our consumer driven society are also the same companies that are responsible in protecting us and have our health and best interest at heart! As if the scientific data, stats, and ongoing evidence are not enough - it isn't going to go away or get any better if all we do is close our eyes and convince ourselves that it's not happening! This "attitude" is not going to decrease our children's chances of getting cancer, or lower their "body burden" nor will it keep them safe from the myriad of illnesses that are caused by environmental exposure to toxic substances! The only thing that WILL is taking the time to educate ourselves by digging! DIG online, in Articles, Scientific Magazines, talk with Doctors, Scientists, become part of groups that do solid research like the EWG (Environmental Working Group) and HealthyStuff.org, the Toxic Free Legacy Coalition and other wonderful groups who are digging, researching, doing analysis and making our never ending search for information a little bit easier along the way!
As you you read this article you will see that I am very passionate about children's health and well being. I am also concerned about the environment since Earth is the only planet that can sustain human life. If we continue to travel down this nonchalant road and continue to pollute and contaminate our environment and our bodies, we WILL end up destroying this place we call home and our children, grand children's future along with it!
What can we do? Put your money where it counts! Be picky, scrutinize items you bring into your home. Do some research online, link yourself to groups that offer valuable information so you can educate yourself and protect your family! If there are companies that are constantly having recalls and issues you might want to consider boycotting them! Also take a good hard look at countries of origin on toys and products - research the history and the manufacturing standards of that country! Since items are not labeled with contaminants/toxins it is up to us to look at the material, the manufacturing practices, the standards, the companies, and to put the items we have/are considering buying under a proverbial microscope!
Become aware and spread the word to other parents. Whether you find an article, see a news reel, read a magazine - it's important to share it with other parents. We need to help each other become aware of the perils that face us in this generation that have not faced previous generations on such a grand scale. While we worried about diseases and germs in past centuries - this century we crossed over to the other side and are now under fire with chemicals in our system. Childhood Cancers, Childhood Obesity, Childhood Asthma, Diabetes, ADD, ADHD, Autism the list goes on and on and the number are rising each and every year!
So the only thing to do now is take a deep breath, take a step back, and open both our eyes. Face forward and look to the future. Take one day at a time and research about Toys, Products, Food, Water, the Environment. If not for our sake then for the sake of our children and their future! Align yourself with reliable sources of information and take the time to research. You will find as you research that one door leads to another, one bit of information will introduce you to another. Take it one step at a time, there is a lot of information and a lot of resources out there don't get overwhelmed.
To get you started I recommend you look at the following sites:
EWG Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org/
Treehugger http://www.treehugger.com/food_health/?campaign=th_nav_food
Let these websites be a starting point. Use your search engine to look for words like "Toxic Toys", "Body Burden" and try words with chemicals like "BPA + Toys" or "Cadmium + Toys" as you learn your vocabulary on toxins will increase and you will become more adept at getting to the source and finding valuable information more quickly. Keep in mind there are websites for recalled toys/products/food etc. But what about the one's they haven't found yet? The one's that are still out there? Learn to be one step ahead of the recalls and educate yourself, friends, and family so that when recalls do happen you won't be one of the people returning/throwing out/ or worrying about the items in your house, and what toys your children are playing with or chewing on. "Prevention" not "Reaction"! By the time you realize and react - your child has already played and possibly ingested the toxic chemicals and substances!
Let these websites be a starting point. Use your search engine to look for words like "Toxic Toys", "Body Burden" and try words with chemicals like "BPA + Toys" or "Cadmium + Toys" as you learn your vocabulary on toxins will increase and you will become more adept at getting to the source and finding valuable information more quickly. Keep in mind there are websites for recalled toys/products/food etc. But what about the one's they haven't found yet? The one's that are still out there? Learn to be one step ahead of the recalls and educate yourself, friends, and family so that when recalls do happen you won't be one of the people returning/throwing out/ or worrying about the items in your house, and what toys your children are playing with or chewing on. "Prevention" not "Reaction"! By the time you realize and react - your child has already played and possibly ingested the toxic chemicals and substances!
As far as the future goes, our health, our children, our environment. It is up to you and I. If we make our voices heard and support groups who are truly in it for our health and well being then there is hope for the future! If we turn a blinds eye then there is no one to blame... The choices we make do make a difference! Our voices do get heard! Our decisions will change the direction of our future - all we have to do is TRY!
