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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Lawrence Curry
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BPA exposure; bad and getting worse
Curry calls for swift passage of his bill banning the chemical in baby products
HARRISBURG, June 16 – With the latest news that the exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA) is worse than previously thought, state Rep. Lawrence Curry is making an urgent plea for action on his bill (H.B. 192) that would ban the chemical in infant and baby products manufactured and/or sold in Pennsylvania. (Letter attached.)
"New research suggests that we have underestimated our dietary exposure to this chemical. Clearly, the threat of BPA is real, and our inaction in removing it from children's products is inexcusable," said Curry, D-Montgomery/Phila.
BPA is an estrogen-like chemical that lines some food containers and is used in some hard, clear plastic products such as baby and water bottles. It can leach from the containers into the packaged food when heated, and then enters the body through the digestive tract.
House Bill 192 has been in the House Health Committee since April 6, 2011. Curry has sent a letter to Chairman Matthew Baker, R-Bradford/Tioga, requesting the bill be released from committee for a vote by the full House (see attached). When the latest news about the dangers of BPA was release, Curry spoke with Baker about moving his bill.
A recent study by scientists from the University of Missouri found that when a person consumes BPA through food, the active form of the chemical may remain in the body for longer than expected.
BPA has been linked to a variety of health problems, including:
· Autism;
· Behavioral and learning problems;
· Obesity, heart disease and diabetes;
· Fertility problems;
· Prostate and breast cancer.
Curry's bill also would prohibit manufacturers from replacing BPA with other reproductive toxicants that could cause birth defects or harm the growth and development of infants and toddlers.
BPA baby bottles are banned in eight states: New York, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Washington, Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont and Minnesota. California is considering such a ban.
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