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Action: Triclosan
Model Resolution.
Get your municipality, institution or company to adopt this resolution
which commits to not procuring or using products containing triclosan
or triclocarban; supporting efforts to educate the community; and
endorsing efforts to ban household and non-medical uses of triclosan by
FDA and EPA.
(January 14, 2010) Beyond Pesticides and Food & Water Watch petitioned EPA to ban triclosan for non-medical applications on the basis that those uses violate federal laws regulating pesticide registration, clean and safe drinking water, and endangered species. Read petition here.
(July 14, 2009) Beyond Pesticides and Food & Water Watch petitioned FDA to ban triclosan for non-medical applications on the basis that those uses violate federal law. Read petition here.
(December 29, 2008) Groups Sign Statement Seeking To Restrict Triclosan Citing EPA Health and Environmental Standards Too Weak (read comments to EPA). Tell EPA to ban the non-medical uses of triclosan.
(October 29, 2008)
The EPA released its final Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) document
for triclosan which contained several amendments to the risk assessment
as a result of comments submitted by Beyond Pesticides dozens of public
health and environmental groups. However, despite many lingering issues
related to triclosan's continued threat to human and environmental health,
the agency concluded that triclosan is eligible for reregistration.
(July 7, 2008) Groups Tell EPA to Stop Uses of Anti-Bacterial
Consumer Products. In comments to EPA on its new risk assessment and evaluation
of the widely used anti-bacterial chemical triclosan groups point to health
and environmental effects and call for end to consumer products. Read
the press
release and comments
to EPA.
(October, 25, 2005) The Non-Prescription Drug Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a call for further research regarding the risks and benefits of specific consumer antibacterial products. Read petition and press release
Regulating Antibacterials
In general, EPA regulates all of the pesticidal uses of antibacterials when they are used as a preservative, a fungicide, or a biocide, such as with Microban® in plastics. Articles or products that claim to be effective in controlling microorganisms such as E.coli etc, must be registered as a pesticide, once the product makes a public health claim that goes beyond the use of the pesticide as a preservative to protect the product itself.
According to the EPA,
..
"FIFRA [Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act ]
does not allow companies to make public health pesticidal claims for any
product distributed or sold unless the product has been approved and registered
by EPA or is covered by an exemption from registration. EPA is concerned
about these claims because, in addition to being unlawful, they are also
potentially harmful to the public (e.g., if people believe that a product
has a self-sanitizing quality, they may become lax in their hygiene practices).
Practicing standard hygiene practices has been proven to prevent the transmission
of harmful microorganisms and, therefore, reduce the possibility of public
health risk."
For more information visit EPA's Consumer Products Treated with Pesticides
| Did
you know…? In spite of shared responsibility, the FDA and the EPA have done little to warn consumers of the possible health and environmental effects of triclosan. |