President Signs Phthalate Ban Into Law

Major milestone reached for children's health and for chemical regulation

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Bush signed a federal
bill today that bans six toxic phthalates from children's products. His
signature bolsters Congress' overwhelming support for this legislation, and
sends a clear message that toxic chemicals have no place in toys.

The phthalate ban, a provision of the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Reform Act, will protect children from these harmful plastic-softening
chemicals which are linked to breast cancer, decreased sperm counts, birth
defects and other health problems. Advocates see this legislation as a first
step toward broader chemical policy reform. "Congress got a glimpse into how
chemicals are regulated in this country and saw how broken the system is,"
said Janet Nudelman, director of program and policy for the Breast Cancer
Fund. "The phthalate ban is only the tip of the iceberg of what's needed to
protect Americans from unsafe chemical exposures."

The Breast Cancer Fund led a national coalition of parents, health care
professionals and environmental health advocates that convinced Congress to
pass the phthalate ban, despite aggressive lobbying by the chemical industry.
"This is a David and Goliath victory," said Nudelman. "Public health advocates
and parents were up against big oil and the chemical industry, and we won.
This should serve as a wake-up call to industry: chemicals linked to cancer
and birth defects have no place in consumer products."

Key legislators heeded parents' and advocates' concerns and brought the issue
into the legislative arena. Champions include Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who
authored the original Senate amendment on phthalates, as well as Sen. Barbara
Boxer and Reps. Henry Waxman, Jan Schakowsky and Diana DeGette, who strongly
advocated for the ban among their Congressional colleagues.

This legislative action is a direct response to a growing movement of parents,
scientists and advocates who are raising concerns about unsafe chemicals in
consumer products. Months before Congress took action, retailers and
manufacturers including Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us, Lego, Evenflo and Gerber
responded to consumer outcry by announcing plans to phase out phthalates in
toys. In the past year, California, Washington and Vermont restricted
phthalate use in children's products.

"Public awareness is at an all-time high," said Nudelman. "Consumers are
saying that the products we buy must be safe, period. The phthalate ban is a
great start, and an indication that Congress is ready to consider the kind of
sweeping chemical policy reform that is needed."

The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization working to
identify and eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer.
www.breastcancerfund.org.

SOURCE Breast Cancer Fund

Shannon Coughlin of Breast Cancer Fund, +1-415-336-2246,
scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org