California’s Proposition 65 has been widely criticized by industry professionals and consumers alike. However, a recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives provides compelling evidence that the law has been effective in reducing exposure to toxic chemicals.
Prop 65 is widely criticized and assumed to be ineffective, because the warnings have become so commonplace and numerous that people don’t take them seriously. Therefore, the results of this research come as a surprise to many.
Not only has exposure to toxic chemicals gone down in the state of California, but it has also gone down nationwide — presumably, according to researchers, due in part to the Prop 65 law. This is because in meeting the California regulations, companies are effectively manufacturing all products sold in the US to these higher standards.
“Our finding that Californians are generally less exposed to toxic chemicals than are other Americans has potentially far-reaching implications. It suggests a tangible public health payoff from the state’s more stringent environmental regulations,” says co-author Claudia Polsky, Director of the Environmental Law Clinic at UC Berkeley School of Law. “We hope other researchers will probe this issue further so we can better understand which regulations work, and why.”
You can read a more comprehensive summary of the research by following this link. The article includes a link to the study itself.
Learn more about how Proposition 65 applies specifically to baby carrier compliance in our resources.