Canadian MP calls for BPA ban in sex toys

A Toronto Liberal MP is calling on the federal health minister to take steps to regulate the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in adult sex toys.

In a letter sent to Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, Carolyn Bennett – Member of Parliament representing the riding of St. Paul’s and Liberal Health Critic – claimed that the presence of BPA in most sex toys poses a potential health risk for women.

“I am writing to express my concern for the urgent need for responsible regulation in the adult toy industry in Canada”, her letter said.

According to Bennett, the issue came to her attention during a recent meeting with the owners of a sex shop in Toronto that specializes in ‘eco-friendly’ toys, who told her of their worries regarding the use of BPA and phthalates in some products.

A building block of several important plastics and plastics additives, BPA is used in the synthesis of polyesters, polysulfones and polyether ketones, and as an antioxidant in plasticizers and a polymerization inhibitor in PVC.

Bennett has long been opposed to the use of BPA. “We need to have the proposed ban on BPA in baby bottles expanded to all foods and beverages,” she said in March. “We could have a two-year transition to alternative liners more chemically stable and not as likely to leech.”

To read Bennett’s letter, click on this link.