Pediatricians’ statement on stricter laws for chemicals

A statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics calls for stricter laws for chemicals, especially for safety testing before their release on the market.  The goal of the statement is to “include the voice of pediatricians in current discussions about the need to update the Toxic Substances Control Act, passed in 1976 with the intention of protecting the public against exposure to hazardous chemicals.”  Children’s bodies interact with chemicals in different ways than adults, and are especially affected during important periods of their physical and cognitive development.  The current law only regulates five types of chemicals – there are 80,000 types of chemicals out on the market.  Most of them are unregulated because the outdated law does not require safety testing before their release.  “A spokesperson from the American Chemistry Council told Reuters Health in an email that the chemical company representative agrees that the Toxic Substances Control Act needs to be updated, and that the chemical industry is also working with the government to protect kids’ health through other means,” according to the Reuters article.