This post was originally published on here
Menstrual products in New York will soon be safer thanks to a new law restricting the use of harmful chemicals.
Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will ban the intentional inclusion of various harmful chemicals in menstrual products sold across New York.
The list of harmful chemicals includes, but is not limited to, lead, mercury and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
“Since the sale of the first menstrual pad 186 years ago, women have been kept in the dark about the ingredients found in their most trusted period products,” said Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, who sponsored the legislation. “New York has made clear that women are not science experiments and their health should not come at the cost of improving a company’s bottom line.”
The legislation, which was signed by Hochul on Dec. 19, will take effect 12 months from when it became law, giving menstrual product companies one year to ensure any products sold in the state do not purposefully include any of the banned chemicals.
Additionally, the new law requires the New York State Department of Health, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Conservation, to establish maximum allowable levels for these chemicals in the event that it is unfeasible to fully eliminate them from the products.
The departments will be required to review those thresholds every five years to determine if they should be adjusted.
“Women should not be facing problems with their health simply through the use of menstrual products,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. “This bill holds producers accountable and ensures that the Assembly Majority is doing everything in our power to protect New Yorkers and our environment.”
Dozens of states across the country are working to implement similar bans on harmful chemicals in menstrual products, with some states, including Vermont, Minnesota, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Colorado, having already enacted such legislation.
