Article was written by the Action Network.
It may be a new year, but the facts haven’t change. Plastic poisons people. š¢
Health problems linked with harmful plastic chemicals cost the United States of America (US) health care system $250 billion in increased costs in the year 2018 alone, according to a 2024 study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
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The U.S. has long considered plastics and their chemical ingredients as a point of economic usefulness. Yet this study reveals that the health care costs of treating illnesses that trace back to plastic chemicals are extremely steep.
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Plastics contain more than 16,000 chemicals, including many that interrupt how our bodiesā hormone (endocrine) systems work. ā
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These chemicals can cause serious health problems such as cancer, diabetesā , reproductive disorders and neurological impairments of developing fetuses and children.
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Some of the most harmful plastic chemicals include hormone-disruptors such as bisphenols, phthalates, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or ForeverChemicals.
Itās important to highlight that babies, children, and pregnant people are especially vulnerable to these chemicals.ā
Plastic harms human health and requires systemic change and regulation. Thereās no time to waste.
āļøPetition for a strong PlasticsTreaty: https://ow.ly/FYte50Ur2JG
Picture: Getty Images