TORONTO—Carolyn Bennett, a medical doctor and Member of Parliament in Canada, has issued a call for the sex toy industry there to be regulated, saying chemicals used in many toys pose a potential health risk for women.
Bennett sent a letter to Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq earlier this month, making note of the need for regulation. At issue for Bennett, is the use of bisphenol A and phthalates; both are commonly used items in plastics.
While the chemicals are not allowed to be used in baby bottles or children’s toys, they are not banned and can appear in sex toys, which are classified as “novelty” items in Canada and therefore are not regulated.
According to CTV News, Bennett wrote the letter after meeting with owners of a Toronto sex shop that specializes in eco-friendly sex toys.
"I wanted to help them, because they had a good cause, in spite of the fact that it is unfortunately still a topic that makes some people uncomfortable," Bennett said.
While there are several studies that exist and show that exposure to the chemicals at certain levels could cause hormone complications, the chemicals have not been banned outright. Several pleasure product manufacturers, however, have taken it upon themselves to voluntarily remove the chemicals from their items.
There was no information immediately available on Aglukkaq’s response to the letter.
