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American families are the subject of a dangerous experiment

American families are the subject of a dangerous experimentTell Congress it’s time to pass legislation to protect our families from toxic chemicals.

On July 28, the Safer Chemicals coalition joined its partner organization EarthJustice to produce a provocative ad that ran in the Capitol Hill newspapers Roll Call and Politico, publications whose readership includes most elected officials in federal government and their staffers. The ad depicts a young child and implies that she and her family are the subjects of an experiment without consent. Click here to see the full ad.

Cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, heart disease, neurological diseases, asthma, obesity and other serious health problems have been linked to chemicals inside the products you use every day – baby bottles, cleaners, cash register receipts, computers, mattresses, and more.

Just this year, the President’s Cancer Panel reported that, “the true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated.”

Most Americans assume that chemicals are tested and found safe to our health before being added to products, but shockingly, that’s just not true.

Current federal law, the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), has failed to protect our families from toxic chemicals. That’s why more than 250 groups representing over 11 million people have come together to form the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition, which is fighting to pass a strong new law that will place common sense limits on toxic chemicals.

Right now Congress is considering legislation that would, for the first time, require the chemical industry to demonstrate that chemicals are safe before they end up in our homes, schools, and places of work. In other words, no more experimenting with public health. In another major shift, the legislation would require chemical manufacturers to provide basic health and safety information for all chemicals as a condition for staying in or entering the marketplace, and to make that information public.

Ask your Congressional representatives to co-sponsor this important public health legislation by taking action now!

When TSCA became law in 1976, smoking was permitted in airplanes and hospital rooms. There were no laws requiring that children or adults wear seatbelts. Lead was still being added to gasoline. In the 34 years that have passed, Americans and their elected officials have taken action on all of these issues and witnessed significant improvements in public health.

We can put an end to the dangerous experiment with American families’ health and futures. Get involved and let your voice be heard!

Email Congress

To learn more about the legislation, check out the resources below.

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To join the campaign, click here.

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