Willie Nelson

At 10 months old, my son Truman tries to eat just about everything: crayons, pennies, cat food, the cat. This list is endless. But of all the things he puts in his mouth, the one I shouldn’t have to worry about is his teething ring. I mean, that’s what it’s for, right?

But the disturbing truth is that most brands of teething rings — along with many of the toys and baby products our kids play with (and chew on) every day — contain toxic levels of lead and other contaminants, including a class of chemicals called “phthalates.”

Phthalates (pronounced “thal-ates”) are used in all sorts of vinyl toys, from “binkies,” to bath books to rubber ducks, to make them soft and flexible. Soft and flexible can be a good thing when your toddler is bonking you on the head with his toy elephant, but when kids put these toys in their mouths (which they will), the toxic chemicals can leach out and enter their tiny bodies. And then it stops being funny.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Exposure to phthalates has been linked to developmental problems in children, including premature breast development in girls, male genital defects, and reduced sperm quality. That manufacturers would include such chemicals in children’s toys is unbelievable. That it’s still legal for them to do so is simply unacceptable.

And with your help, it can change. A bill recently introduced in Congress would ban the use of phthalates and make toys safer for all our children.

Please take action by writing to your Member of Congress and urging him or her to support the strongest version of this new piece of legislation. Tell Congress what the rest of us already know: toxics have no place in toys.

For the planet,

Carroll Muffett
Deputy Campaigns Director

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