September 12, 2007 9:57 AM

Toxic Toys Ban Heads to Gov. Schwarzenegger's Desk

Will "the Terminator" terminate the sale of toys in California that contain "gender-bender" chemicals? Speaking as a new parent, I sure as heck hope so.

Phthalates are a family of hormone-disrupting chemicals found in soft plastics that are commonly used in toys. Scientists have shown that phthalates can cause lowered sperm counts, early onset of puberty, and testicular cancer. Because babies suck and chew on everything they can get their hands on, and children also have generally faster metabolism and cell-division processes than adults, these chemicals pose an especially high risk for kids -- and need to be taken out of toys as soon as possible.

This should be a complete no-brainer for Governor Schwarzenegger. Canada has banned these chemicals in children's toys; so has Mexico, and pretty much all of the European Union. Why are American kids still at risk? Does Governor Schwarzenegger really think that we shouldn't take every precaution possible to keep hormone-disrupting chemicals out of our kids' system?

California Assembly Bill 1108, sponsored by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, will ban the sale in California of phthalate-containing toys designed for kids under three. Click here to take action and tell the Governor to sign AB 1108!