Chicago Says No To BPA

Chicago on Wednesday became the first U.S. city to adopt a ban on the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups containing the chemical BPA.

The Chicago City Council approved the ban on a 48-0 vote and a spokeswoman for Mayor Richard M. Daley said he intends to sign it. The ban is slated to take effect Jan. 31, 2010.

BPA, or Bispheol A, is a chemical used to make plastics.  Exposure to it is known to mimic hormones and cause a host of chemical disruptions as well as reproductive harm in the body.  It has been in the news frequently in the last year or so, concerning manufacturing of water and baby bottles; it’s use in the production of PVC, flame retardants and the coatings of the insides of food and beverage cans, among other things.

Other places to ban BPA: Suffolk County in New York, Minnesota and the entire country of Canada.

Despite the obvious, proven effects BPA has on humans, the FDA and the chemicals industry claim products with the chemical are safe.

Chicago’s ordinance requires retailers to post notices declaring that products they sell do not contain BPA. Violators could be fined up to $100 or more per offense and could lose their licenses.