Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed the Family and Fire Fighter Protection Act into law, prohibiting the use of flame retardants in furniture, mattresses and electronics cases.
A growing body of scientific literature links chemicals used as flame retardants to cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive problems and reduced IQ, according to a press release from Clean and Healthy New York, which co-leads the JustGreen Partnership. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of these toxic chemicals because they interact with their environment in unpredictable ways and are still developing. When they burn, chemicals used as flame retardants become even more toxic, making smoke more deadly and harder to escape, and becoming potent cancer-causing chemicals that increase risk for fire fighters.