Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Have you seen this warning?

Proposition 65 WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.

I remember buying some textured paint and discovering that sand was supposed to cause cancer. I assume they meant if I sanded the dry paint off without using a breathing mask then maybe some of the silica would find its way into my lungs along with all the other paint crud.

2 comments:

jaed said...

It seems possible that you've never been to a grocery store in California.

Throughout the state, you literally cannot walk into a grocery store without seeing a "Proposition 65 Warning" on the door of the place, informing you that some items within the store "are known to the State of California to cause cancer". They don't tell you which items, of course, or note that "...if you ingest more than it is actually physically possible to ingest for several years running" is a necessary antecedent to cancer.

The things are everywhere in California.

james said...

I haven't been in a grocery store in California since '63. I don't recall seeing the warnings in restaurants 8 years ago, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were all over the menus now. Something about the magical power of words, no doubt--with the proper spells copied onto the walls all will be well.