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A major legislative battle was just lost in the State of California with the failure of Senate Bill 722.  The bill seeks to amend a decades old provision requiring manufacturers to add flame retardants to children’s products made using polyurethane foam (car seats, breastfeeding cushions, and much more). California is the only state in the country that requires this and it has led to the use of millions of pounds of halogenated flame retardants (which are the cheapest, but also pose a variety of health risks). Since manufacturers don’t like making different products for different states, it means that children’s products sold across the continent have flame retardants added to them – even if California is the only state to require it. This issue impacts all of us and is a completely unnecessary risk to children’s health and development.

Three new fact sheets developed by the Consumer Federation of California help make the issue clear (despite industry’s attempt to make the waters as murky as possible). Here are some highlights from what they’ve put together:

Toxic Flame Retardants Endanger Public Health

Halogenated fire retardants—the least expensive and most likely chemicals used to meet this regulation—have been linked to endocrine disruption, neurological and developmental impairments, cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities such as attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, and a host of other health disorders. 


When certain fire retardant chemicals burn, they form highly toxic dioxins and furans. In November 2006, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published an analysis of 32 studies that found that fire fighters have significantly elevated rates of four types of cancer: multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate, and testicular cancer, likely resulting from chemical exposures. For that reason, many firefighter groups across the nation have been active in support of efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of certain toxic fire retardants in consumer products.



Low-income residents and communities of color are the most likely to be exposed to these chemicals and fall victim to these diseases as they purchase products laden with the toxins at the big box stores. Other communities can opt out by purchasing more expensive imported or toxic-free product lines of baby products. Furthermore older or second-hand products are more likely to have crumbly foam that will escape and cause the greatest health hazard.



As a result of these public health dangers, both the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the International Association of Firefighters have also opposed their use in favor of other, less toxic but fire-safe alternatives.

Citizens for Fire Safety – A Toxic Front Group

Front group: An organization that purports to be independent voluntary association or charitable organization, but actually serves the interest of the sponsoring party whose identity is often hidden. Certain front groups are seemingly grassroots-based coalitions that are actually funded by an industry trade association or public relations firm.


In California, a related organization called “Californians for Fire Safety” was created by the public relations consulting firm Jacobson Communications, and is explicitly listed on the lobbyist registration website. “Burson-Marsteller, on behalf of the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum, Doing Business As Californians for Fire Safety,” spent $6,673,215.90 over the 4 quarters at the start of the 2007–2008 legislative session. It terminated its lobbying firms at the end of January 2008, and those firms picked up Citizens for Fire Safety Institute on Feb 1, 2008.

Citizens for Fire Safety describes itself as “… a coalition of fire professionals, educators, burn centers, doctors, fire departments and industry leaders…” but in fact is moving a special interest corporate agenda for a handful of actors. CFFS builds its membership list by attracting the support of organizations and individuals who may be unaware of its chemical industry motives by using misrepresentation of what a given proposed policy would accomplish. 

The front group seeks to blunt the rising influence of actual citizen coalitions—of environmental health and justice communities working with physicians, “moms” groups, firefighters, children’s health advocates and others—that have formed to support restricting brominated flame retardants, due to the environmental and public health concerns they pose, and the ready availability of safer, cost- and performance effective alternatives.

Toxic Flame Retardants and Fire Safety Alternatives

Children’s products such as strollers and changing pads do not pose a fire hazard. According the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there is no evidence that these toxic chemicals actually reduce fire deaths in California; they just slow them for an estimated six to twelve seconds. 


Fire deaths declined by 38% in California from 1980 to 1999; but the decline was similar or even greater in other states that don’t have standards leading to the use of these toxic chemicals. Considering that most victims of fires die from smoke inhalation and not the actual flames, alternative fire-fighting measures like smoke detectors and sprinkler systems have proven more effective.



In fact, the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association has NEVER been sued by anyone, anywhere, because their “flame retardant free” products were associated with a fire hazard.

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