New York Bans BPA in Baby Bottles

Earlier this month we wrote that New York State passed a law banning the sale of baby bottles, sippy cups, and a variety of other children’s products that contain <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances">bisphenol A. (BPA). The legislation passed with a unanimous vote in the Senate and Assembly.

The Chronicle just reported that Governor David Paterson said the law would protect children from “a potentially harmful substance” when he signed it July 30. Lawmakers passed the measure in June and it will take effect December 1.

Meanwhile, said The Chronicle, advocates have said no less than six other states have similar bans in place and the North American Metal Packaging Alliance stated that the toxic chemical is a necessary element in the creation of baby formula containers and other consumer products. 



According to a previous WGRZ report, as of June, about 18 additional states were looking into legislation banning BPA, said Assemblyman Steven Englebright (Democrat-Suffolk County). Prior to the move in NY state, Rockland, Albany, Schenectady, and Suffolk counties, all in NY, enacted similar laws restricting the use of BPA in sippy cup and baby bottles, said WGRZ, citing the bill’s sponsors. The states of Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin have also adopted similar laws, added the sponsors.

The BBC previously wrote that BPA has been banned or limited in three countries: Canada, Denmark, and France. Bans are also in place in Australia, and New Zealand and last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it would be launching a study to look at the health effects of BPA, wrote TimesArgus.

BPA, a polycarbonate plastic, is found in a wide variety of consumer products, and was very recently found to be present in common paper receipts with laboratory tests recently commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) finding high levels of the endocrine-disrupting chemical on 40 percent of receipts sampled from major U.S. businesses and services. The total amounts of BPA on receipts tested were 250 to 1,000 times greater than other, more widely discussed sources of BPA exposure, including canned foods, baby bottles, and infant formula, said EWG.

BPA can be found in baby bottles, sippy cups, water bottles, aluminum can linings, eyeglasses, cars, DVD and CD cases, and some dental sealants. BPA can also be found in water as a result of aquatic paints and in appliances and windshields. On recyclable bottles, BPA, as a component, can be verified if the item contains recycling number 7.

We recently wrote that an emerging report containing the must current collection of published scientific literature regarding BPA’s health impacts found that of 81 studies included in the compilation, 75 conclude that humans are exposed to the chemical there exists negative health reactions connected to exposure to BPA, wrote Toxics Action.

Known to imitate the hormone estrogen, BPA acts as an anti-androgen, affecting sexual development and processes, especially in developing fetuses, infants, and children. Hundreds of prior studies link BPA to cardiovascular disease, intestinal problems, brain cell connection interference, increased risks of reproductive and immune system diseases and disorders, problems with liver function testing, interruptions in chemotherapy treatment, premature puberty, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and erectile dysfunction and male sexual problems. BPA is found in the bodies of 93 percent of Americans and 90 percent of all American newborns.