Dangerous Chemicals in Toys? We’re Banning Them!

The European Union (EU) is taking steps to protect children from harmful chemicals, including those that disrupt growth hormones, by strengthening rules on imported toys.

“The new Toy Safety Regulation sends out a strong signal: for the protection of our children, fair competition and for Europe as a business location,” states Marion Walsmann, the German EU lawmaker who spearheaded the text in the European Parliament.

Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU’s 27 states struck a deal, imposing a limited ban on “forever chemicals” – known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – a family of synthetic chemicals that take an extremely long time to break down. Long-term exposure to the chemicals, even low levels, is linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birth weights, and several kinds of cancer. The ban will be expanded to include hazardous substances, such as endocrine disruptors, which interfere with the body’s hormone system.