Chicago bans BPA
Chicago has become the first city to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from children's products. The ban comes on the heels of Minnesota becoming the first state to enact a ban and Suffolk County, NY becoming the first county and first U.S. jurisdiction to ban the toxic chemical.
The Chicago city council passed the ban Wednesday after several city aldermen made lengthy speeches detailing the health threat BPA poses to humans and criticizing the FDA and Congress for failing to protect the public. The council's vote was unanimous.
The ban affects baby bottles and sippy cups sold in Chicago, which will now have to be BPA-free.
The Chicago Tribune's Editorial Board announced the vote on Twitter, writing:
We asked #ChicagoCityCouncil to pass #BPA ban. And they just did. A smart move to protect youngest Chicagoans.
"I am hopeful that by passing this legislation in Chicago, we can begin a nationwide movement that will inspire other municipal and state jurisdictions to eliminate BPA from food containers in their communities," said Alderman Manny Flores.
The group Environment Illinois released a statement praising Flores and Alderman Ed Burke, who both sponsored the ban.
"With Mother’s Day last Sunday, they’ve given the perfect gift to mothers and the tens-of-thousands of Chicago babies born each year," said Max Muller, program director at Environment Illinois. "The chemical companies that profit from BPA have lobbied furiously to kill these bills, but protecting children from harm prevailed in Chicago."
The Chicago Sun Times noted that stores will be required to post signs to inform customers that items are BPA-free.
The Sun Times also reported a bit of personal drama associated with this vote. Alderman Burke, a co-sponsor of the ban, is a close friend of former Alderman Terry Gabinski, who now is a registered lobbyist with the American Chemistry Council, staunch opponents of BPA bans.
Despite that relationship, Burke crowed "As Chicago goes, so goes the nation."
Other news organizations covering Chicago's decision to ban BPA include USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, and The New York Times.
Comments on this post
Posted by Margie on May. 14, 2009
Environmental Health News did an interesting analysis of the BPA ban passing in Chicago.
Reporting the BPA ban in Chicago in bits and pieces.
Posted by Paul Eubig, DVM at May 14, 2009 03:30 PM |
Together, the hometown newspapers hit key aspects of Chicago's intended BPA ban, yet both omit important points that would add context for readers.
Not many cities have two newspapers, let alone one, anymore. So reading reports on the same issue – banning sale of products containing bisphenol A – in different publications – the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune – allows for an interesting juxtaposition.
For this case, both newspapers covered the Chicago City Council’s preliminary deliberations over a proposal to ban the sale of empty food and drink containers made with BPA that are intended for use in children under 3 years of age.
Although the recent US Food and Drug Administration decision declared BPA-containing products, such as plastic baby bottles, as safe, there is an ever growing body of scientific evidence that argues otherwise.
Read more here:
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/blog/reporting-chicagos-bpa-ban-in-bits-and-pieces
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