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Eau
du Birth Defects
The
Citizens’ Environmental Coalition wants to take the poison
out of the perfume
‘I
don’t know how to put this,” said Kathleen Curtis, executive
director of Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, “but phthalates
can shrink the size of a baby’s penis.”
On June 23 at Macy’s in Colonie Center, the Citizens’ Environmental
Coalition began a campaign to draw attention to pending legislation
in the New York State Senate that would prohibit the sale
or distribution of cosmetics containing dibutyl phthalate.
Members of the CEC took time to educate shoppers in the cosmetics
department about the health problems these chemicals can cause.
“It’s the last thing men want to hear,” says Curtis, “but
phthalates can affect the size of the penis and its placement.”
Upon hearing the news, at least one customer returned a recent
purchase.
The EPA currently recognizes dibutyl phthalate as having short-term
and long-term toxicity, but does not have any studies showing
its effects on humans. It has been proven to cause birth defects
in animals. Studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services have shown a correlation between levels
of phthalates and increased incidents of cancer.
Products that contain dibutyl phthalates include perfumes,
nail polish and shaving cream. According to Curtis, the chemical
is used by most major brands. According to the FDA, as many
as two-thirds of the products on store shelves today contain
phthalates.
The use of phthalates has been banned in the European Union
for more than a year. Manufacturers continue to distribute
products containing phthalates in the United States despite
the fact that they manufacture and distribute products free
of phthalates in the European Union.
What is most disturbing to Curtis is that most products that
contain the chemical are not labeled, making it nearly impossible
to avoid them. In most cases, said Curtis, phthalates are
contained in what is usually marked as “fragrance.” “It’s
not the retailers that are pushing to keep the chemical in
these products,” noted Curtis, “it’s the chemical manufacturers.”
Movement on the legislation banning phthalates in New York
has come to a halt with the end of the legislative season,
but Curtis is looking forward to educating people on the topic
in the fall in conjunction with what she expects will be new
energy and support for the bill in the Legislature. “I think
we will see a number of people attaching their names to it,”
she said.
Don’t be surprised if you run into representatives of CEC
handing out literature about baby penis shrinkage or misplaced
urethras the next time you’re at the cosmetics counter. According
to Curtis, the June 23 event “was just a warning shot.”
—David
King
dking@metroland.net
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| What
a Week |
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Aw,
We’re Druglords, Not Terrorists
According to DEA documents, Osama bin Laden approached
Columbian druglords in 2002 with a plot to poison
shipments of cocaine bound for U.S. ports. Bin
Laden offered the cartels millions of dollars
to purchase literally tons of cocaine. The idea
of murdering their customers didn’t seem fiscally
responsible to the cartel heads, and they turned
him away. Sources claim another reason bin Laden
was turned away was the cartel’s fear of U.S.
retaliation. Aren’t they supposed to fear that
already?
Spinning the Extreme Struggle
Feeling that their nearly 4-year-old catchphrase
“war on terror” might be dragging down even the
most hawkish citizens, the Bush administration
has decided it’s time for a kinder, gentler tagline.
It’s hard to believe they could outdo a crowd
pleaser like “Operation Infinite Justice”—the
original catchphrase for the invasion of Afghan
istan—but have they ever. It hasn’t taken long
for administration officials to fall in love with
“Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism” (or,
as per the popular acronym, G-SAVE).
Iowa’s Not So Nice This Time of Year
Gov. George Pataki announced in July that he will
not seek reelection. He is now threatening to
veto legislation to make the morning-after pill
more accessible. The move has angered many New
Yorkers, and some say it’s a move rightward to
help a possible 2008 presidential bid. Pataki
has some local competition, though, from Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney, who, like Pataki, has been testing
the waters in Iowa—and who reportedly so far has
thrown around much more money there than Pataki.
Off the Ballot
Albany Ward 5 Common Council member Shirley Foskey
(who has had trouble making it to council meetings
regularly) and Ward 11 candidate Justin Teff were
removed from the September ballot because they
didn’t have enough valid signatures by the petition
deadline. At the same time, the Board of Elections
did not rule on charges that the campaigns of
Victor Cain (Ward 2) and Cheryl Mackey (Ward 4)
had violated an agreement that keeps Albany Housing
Authority employees from campaigning on AHA property
unless specifically invited by tenants.
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| Overheard |
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Overheard:
"So
I gave him $50 for 'cheese' from Vermont, and
he brought back $50 worth of actual cheese! It
was damn good cheese though."
—late
night at the Old Songs Festival campground
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 |
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About
That Entropy Thang
photo:Chris
Shields
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Transportation
activists who have long advocated spending less money on new
roads, and more on repairing what we’ve got, had an excellent
exhibit A this week, as a hinge in the northbound ramp from
I-787 to the Empire State Plaza failed, leaving a section
of road about three feet below where it belonged, and snarling
rush-hour traffic throughout the Albany.
| Loose
Ends |
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--
no loose ends this week --
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Columns
& Opinions
