Tell Congress: Protect Children from BPA

Hello, World Family,
This is a message from Falcon concerning our U.S. based Brothers and Sisters to take action concerning pending legislation on BPA, a nasty chemical additive that is in children's drinking cups that can cause some serious problems. Moms Rising sent this out this morning, and it is so important that everyone know to contact your Congress-person and ask them to co-sponsor this legislation.

There is a sample letter below that you can modify for you:

I urge your support of the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2009 (H.R. 1523/S. 593). Sponsored by Rep. Markey and Senator Feinstein, this important measure would eliminate the use of the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) from food and beverage containers.

MomsRising members are committed to eliminating BPA from products that pregnant women and children are exposed to on a daily basis. Over the last several decades, children have faced an increasingly challenging time making it through what should be normal stages of growth and development. Incidences of reproductive defects, childhood obesity, early onset puberty, learning disabilities, and many other chronic health problems are on the rise. Many of these problems have been linked with exposure to toxic chemicals.

BPA was first synthesized as an estrogen replacement therapy in the 1930s but was discarded in favor of other therapies. In the 1940s, chemists discovered they could use BPA to make plastic. Now BPA can be found in baby bottles, water bottles and food storage containers. It is also used the lining of metal food cans, including infant formula cans.

BPA is of particular concern to moms because even minuscule amounts--parts per billion or parts per trillion--have been shown to cross the placenta and disrupt normal prenatal development. Early life exposure to BPA has been linked to a host of developmental problems, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, obesity, early onset puberty, abnormal brain development , hyperactivity, and the genetic defect that causes Down’s syndrome. The CDC found BPA in 93% of all Americans and the scientific literature points to food as being the major route of exposure.

There are more than 200 studies that document the adverse impacts of this extremely toxic chemical on human health. This is why Canada has announced it will ban BPA in baby bottles and has signaled its intent to regulate it as a toxic substance. Recently Suffolk County, New York banned BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups. In addition Minnesota became the first state in the nation to ban BPA from consumer products and similar legislation to regulate BPA-containing products has been introduced in more than 20 states.

State action is not enough, however. Congressional action is needed to ensure all food and beverage containers are free of BPA to protect the American public, particularly children, from this toxic chemical.
I urge you to co-sponsor and support the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2009.

Sincerely,
(your name here)

If you are in a hurry, just to to this link:
www.momsrising.org

Thanks, World Family!
Peace,
Falcon and Dove