The federal government's recent
proposal to list bisphenol A (BPA) as a toxic substance
and to ban baby bottles which contain the chemical is
significant not only in itself but for the vitally important
precedent it sets. Taken in combination with other recent
government announcements - especially Ontario's decision
to ban lawn pesticides — it marks a new stage in
the international effort to protect the population from
dangerous industrial products.
Doctors are concerned about BPA
- famous as the building block of rigid plastic bottles
- for a number of reasons. The chemical is found in
hundreds of consumer items, including canned food tins,
dental sealants and water jugs, and American studies
show nearly all of us have it in our bodies - likely
the result of leaching when the products are heated
or washed with strong detergent. More pressing is the
fact that because BPA mimics estrogen BPS, it's implicated
in very serious medical conditions associated with hormonal
imbalance, including breast cancer and premature puberty
in girls, and reduced sperm counts. Some studies also
link it with obesity, ADHD and developmental problems.
Not surprisingly, industry-funded research denies low-dose
exposure is harmful, but more than 150 peer-reviewed
studies by independent scientists suggest the chemical
has adverse health effects even in minute quantities.
BPA's dangers were introduced into the Canadian lexicon
by environmental activists.
What can we learn from the baby
bottle ban? Victories such as this require the involvement
of scientists, health professionals, environmental advocates
and the media. Scientists give us the data, but without
the work of advocates it remains on the shelf. Physicians,
as the ultimate patient advocates, are particularly
well-placed to rally for more changes like this. Doctors:
glass baby bottles are only the beginning. — Gideon
Forman, Executive Director, Canadian Association of
Physicians for the Environment (www.cape.ca)
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