NEW YORK—60 Minutes, CBS’ long-running news program, addressed the issue of phthalates in plastics on its latest show, which aired Sunday.
Phthalates are chemicals used in every soft plastics—everything from medical equipment to children’s toys—that have been inconclusively linked to causing cancer and hormonal disruptions in the body. The 60 Minutes segment, which can be seen at CBSNews.com, mentioned that recently the Environmental Protection Agency put phthalates on a list of chemicals that “may present a risk” to the environment or human health, but the program neglected to mention that the adult novelty industry has long debated the dangers of phthalates. The segment was hosted by 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl.
AVN wrote a cover story on the issue in early 2007, and has since reported on numerous companies who have stopped using phthalates in the manufacturing process with adult toys. Though phthalates have not been definitely proven harmful, most manufacturers simply decided to remove the concern about the chemicals from the equation, and offered up the phrase “phthalate-free” on their packaging.
For more information on the reporting done by AVN in recent years, visit AVN.com.
