ADVOCATES SAY, “HALLOWEEN IS SCARY ENOUGH”

Connecticut kids need safe products

HARTFORD – Flanked by children in their Halloween costumes, members of the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut (CSHC) and State Representative Diana Urban (D-North Stonington) today held a press event at the Legislative Office Building calling for support for legislation to protect children from toxins in products. "Halloween is scary enough,” said Anne Hulick, RN, MSN, JD, Coordinator for CSHC, a growing partnership of citizens and organizations working for safer alternatives to toxic chemicals in consumer products. "Hundreds of chemicals are introduced into commerce each year with no assurances that they are safe for humans, let alone children.”

"There are many chemicals that enhance our lives but there are some that are harmful to our kids," Representative Urban said. "I find it appalling that some of these could be found in Halloween products. It is our job to protect children, so why would we would be willing to expose them to toxic chemicals? It is time to get to the bottom of this. I am glad that the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut is addressing this often-overlooked issue."

Hulick added that there is a growing momentum across the nation to protect consumers from toxic chemicals. Major retailers such as WalMart and Target are taking action to encourage safer products on their shelves, and within the last year both Johnson & Johnson and Proctor & Gamble both announced they would stop using chemicals in their products that have been linked to health risk.

"Unfortunately, even with announcements such as these there is still an enormous gap of protection for our children,” said Hulick."It is vital that lawmakers will take on this issue and enact a commonsense bill that protects Connecticut kids from exposure to chemicals that have been linked to numerous reproductive disorders, cancers and other serious health problems.”

Immediately after the event, children wearing costumes were joined by their parents/caregivers walk to the Governor’s office to hand over letters urging support for the initiative.

Currently the more than 50+ member groups partnered with the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut, the group that fought for and won the state’s BPA bans, include medical and public health professional organizations, environmental, religious and parent groups, worker and educator organizations.