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Ontario Considers Ban on Baby-Bottle Chemical Linked to Cancer

Posted on: Tuesday, 20 November 2007, 18:00 CST

By Chinta Puxley, THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - There is a "compelling case" for Ontario to become the first province in Canada to ban a potentially harmful chemical found in common plastic baby products and linked to adulthood cancer, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Tuesday after meeting with experts and parents pushing for a ban of bisphenol A.

The governing Liberals are going to appoint a panel of medical experts to study toxins like bisphenol A - found in everything from baby bottles and sippy cups to the lining of food cans - with a view to introducing legislation next year, McGuinty said.

If that panel of doctors and scientists recommends a ban, McGuinty said it will be done.

"I just had the opportunity to speak to an expert up from Virginia who makes a very compelling case," McGuinty said after a private meeting with about a dozen parents and environmentalists.

"So what we'll do is we're going to ask our Ontario experts to give us their best advice on that. If their advice to us to ban, then we will ban . . . There is no reason that we can't be a North American leader when it comes to reducing toxins and carcinogens."

San Francisco is the only jurisdiction in North America that has banned the sale, distribution and manufacture of baby products made with bisphenol A. Health Canada is currently studying the risk posed by bisphenol A and expects to report back to the federal government by May.

But Ontario can't afford to wait, McGuinty said.

"Why is it that, at the beginning of the 21st century, one in four Ontarians are now dying of cancer?" he asked.

"We need to do a better job of understanding the influence of these chemicals, toxins and carcinogens in our environment and (on) our quality of life."

McGuinty's resolve came as environmentalists and parents held a rally at the legislature Tuesday to call on the province to ban products laced with bisphenol A.

John Peterson Myers, CEO of Environmental Health Sciences in Virginia, attended the rally and also met with McGuinty. Ontario would be breaking new ground if it followed through with a ban, which the science supports, he said.

Bisphenol A has been linked to the development of breast cancer, prostate cancer, reproductive problems and learning disabilities, Myers said.

"The levels of bisphenol A that we can observe in everyone standing around me right now are higher than the levels that are sufficient to cause adverse effects in animals," Myers said.

"The science on bisphenol A is strong enough now to justify taking action now."

The real test will be who the Liberals appoint to the panel and how the province stands up to a strong lobby from the industry, which has successfully defeated attempts to ban the substance in other jurisdictions, Myers said.

Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, welcomed the panel, which will look not only at bisphenol A but other potentially harmful toxins as well. Flame retardants are also a concern, especially when they are used to coat children's pyjamas, he added.

"I'm quite confident that if the government establishes this expert panel and takes a look at the work that's already been done, the conclusions are going to be obvious," Smith said.

"It's just ridiculous that we have baby bottles sold in this province that have known hormone-disrupting chemical in it."

New Democrat Peter Tabuns said the Liberals should be acting more quickly given the frightening evidence linking bisphenol A to adulthood cancer and developmental disorders.

"When we're talking about children being exposed to chemicals that could affect their development, I don't think there is any reason to put it off a year."

New mom Susan Simpson said she's encouraged by McGuinty's willingness to even consider outlawing the substance. Simpson and her five-month-old daughter Chloe met with McGuinty and had a "very good dialogue."

"Studies have been finding bisphenol A is not good for the kids," said Simpson.

"Now that we're giving (Chloe) the bottle, we want to make sure that there is nothing that can cause any harm for her. We want to do what's best for her so she can lead a healthy and happy life."

Source: Canadian Press

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