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M2.4 Ken Cook and Advocacy Organizations on Toxics in Personal Care Products

M2.4 Ken Cook and Advocacy Organizations on Toxics in Personal Care Products
In Ken Cook's video, I found it most interesting that product are now being taken off the market if it can be proven that they are dangerous. Does this mean that there has to be a death or severe symptoms for products to be reevaluated for dangerous toxins? This doesn't seem right. Companies are holding onto the notion that low doses should not lead to dangerous exposures, however Cook's personal story about his son proves otherwise. Cook also shared some compelling statistics that  should require people to take action! These include:

- 57% increase in childhood brain cancer
- 1 in 150 children on the autism spectrum disorder 
- Deceased sperm count decreased ability to get pregnant
- 1 in 8 women develop breast cancer

These are quite scary statistics and stuff must be done! Reinforcing policy such as the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Kid Safe Chemicals Act is a great first step. The Safe Products video discussed the safety of cosmetic products. I was astounded to hear that Products are not tested for adverse health effects before they hit the market. In fact, the Drug Administration has no authority to do safety testing, nor are they able to issue a mandatory recall if a product is found to be unsafe. The video also mentioned that cosmetic companies can use any ingredient they want in their products in any quantity. And, they can make false claims about their products such as saying that their product is FDA approved or organic. This has made me more weary of trusting cosmetic labeling.

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