Proposition 65Updated 3 months ago
1. Why is there a warning at checkout about chemicals that may cause cancer or reproductive harm?
This warning is displayed for certain products that are being ordered to a California address, but it does not mean that any specific chemical or substance in our products definitively causes cancer or reproductive harm by coming into contact with or wearing our products. Rather, this warning is required under a California law known as “Proposition 65” or “Prop 65” for any product sold in California that may contain one or more of the hundreds of chemicals or substances listed by California under Prop 65. If there is a possibility, or if we actually know, that one of our products may contain a Prop 65-listed chemical, we will include a warning.
2. What is Prop 65?
Prop 65 is officially known as the “Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986” and it is a California law that only applies to products sold within the state of California. It does not apply to products sold outside of California. It is a “right to know” law that requires warning labels to inform consumers when a naturally occurring or synthetic chemical or substance on the Prop 65 list is present above a very low threshold, but the law does not restrict the sale of products containing those substances. Prop 65 contains a list of hundreds of chemicals and substances that the State of California has determined could cause cancer or reproductive harm, and in many cases, Prop 65defines the amount of the chemical or substance and/or the duration of type of exposure to that chemical or substance that it believes would be necessary to cause harm. In some cases, even where a listed chemical or substance is in a product, it may be present at such a low level that it would be considered acceptable since it would be deemed to have no “significant risk” of exposure to consumers.
3. Why do you have a warning if you are not sure whether it contains a chemical that could cause cancer or reproductive harm?
Companies often provide a Prop 65 warning if they are aware that their product contains a listed chemical or substance even if they have not evaluated the potential exposure level. In fact, many products with warnings may not actually contain Prop 65-listed chemicals, or if they do, they may be present at amounts that are below the Prop 65 level of concern. Due to the fact that California has identified over 900 potentially harmful chemicals, it can be prohibitively expensive to test every individual product for every possible substance and the testing process is quite complex. However, R.A.D takes product safety very seriously and we are continuously expanding our testing program to assure that our products are safe, and this process includes Prop 65 chemical identification. For our products, if there is a possibility, or if we actually know, that one of our products may contain a Prop 65-listed chemical, we will include a warning so that consumers are provided with information as part of their purchase decision.
4. Is the product safe if it has this “Prop 65” warning on it?
A Prop 65 warning does not mean a product is in violation of any product safety standards or requirements. In fact, Prop 65 warnings appear across all categories of products that otherwise meet all other state, federal, and international product safety standards. The purpose of the Prop 65 warning in California is to notify consumers in that state that they could be exposed to certain chemicals or substances on or within the product that California itself has listed as those that could cause cancer or reproductive harm. Again, California’s Prop 65 does not ban products that may contain a listed chemical or substance, but rather provides for warnings so that consumers can make an informed decision about purchasing the product.
5. Where can I learn more about Prop 65?
You can visit California’s Prop 65 website at https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/about-proposition-65.