Toxic chemicals more dangerous than unhealthy diets
Gov. Snyder recently gave a special message to the Legislature on Health and Wellness in which he stressed the importance of embracing positive habits such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting an annual checkup and not using tobacco.
As chief of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine in Royal Oak, I certainly agree that individuals need to take personal responsibility and care for themselves. However, the governor missed a crucial piece in his address. As someone who researches the correlation between environmental exposures and cancer, I see many illnesses not directly caused from unhealthy diets or limited exercise, but instead exposure to toxic chemicals that show up in the places and products we encounter daily. Even small dose exposure to these chemicals can be linked to developmental disorders, reproductive harm or cancers. If the governor wants Michigan residents to become healthier, he needs to address Michigan’s limited toxic chemical policies to ensure that residents have the right-to-know about the toxic chemicals we are exposed to in our products and children’s toys.
This past summer, The Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health released two separate studies showing that Michigan children are exposed to flame retardants found in car seats and other baby products sold in our state. Exposure to flame retardants is linked to damages in learning and memory, reproductive harm, thyroid problems and cancers. Our children are the most vulnerable to this toxic chemical because their bodies are still developing.
These studies are red-flags on the need for policy makers to prioritize the health of our children. Chemicals like rocket fuel, flame retardants, formaldehyde and toluene are continually found in children’s blood, mother’s breast milk and even our Great Lakes fish. They rapidly accumulate in our bodies and persist in the environment.
These health problems are preventable, but consumers and health professionals are often left in the dark about whether toys and children’s products are toxic or not. Currently, there is no way of knowing -- not by sight, brand, nor country of origin -- if children’s products contain toxins. As a doctor, I deserve the right-to-know which chemicals are in which children’s product so I can help parents understand their children’s health problems and future threats. In addition to stressing personal health choices, Snyder should encourage the Michigan legislature to empower citizens to make smart purchasing decisions by providing this much needed information. Only then can we make the choice to live healthier lives.
This Op-Ed was originally posted Friday, September 30, 2011 by the Oakland Press.
Michael R. Harbut, M.D., is a professor of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine.