HARTFORD - Calling Connecticut a national leader, Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut Coordinator Anne Hulick, RN, MS, JD today praised lawmakers in the House of Representatives for approving legislation that prohibits the use of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in thermal register receipts often used by retailers, gas stations and banks. Once the bill becomes law with Governor Malloy's signature, Hulick pointed out that Connecticut would become the first of fifty states to protect consumers and workers alike from the health risks associated with BPA exposure from thermal receipt paper. After hours of discussion, the bill passed the House by a vote of 112 to 33.

Bisphenol-A or BPA is a proven endocrine disruptor - meaning that BPA mimics human hormones. The BPA on thermal receipt paper is unbound, readily transmitted to hands and absorbed through human skin where it is recognized by the body as estrogen. The subject of numerous studies by those in the scientific community, BPA has been strongly linked to breast and prostate cancer, reproductive disorders, diabetes and obesity.

"Connecticut is yet again providing first-in-the-nation policy advances that will better protect the health of families and workers from exposure to BPA found in most receipts," said Dr. Mark Mitchell, MD, MPH, and President of Mitchell Environmental Health Associates. "We hope that this new BPA law helps propel efforts to move forward with the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 which will update our federal chemical policies as well."

"We've discovered that BPA is in 60% of our thermal receipts and that since it is unbound, it rubs off on your hands and enters your system," said state Representative Lonnie Reed (D-Branford), a strong supporter and proponent of the bill. "This bill urges companies to protect the public and to protect their employees by producing a safe receipt paper."

"This is one more important step in removing toxic chemicals from our environment," said state Representative Richard Roy (D-Milford), House Chairman of the Environment Committee. "It is incumbent upon us to do all we can to clear our living spaces, especially for workers and our children."
Steve Schrag, Co-Chair of the Connecticut Council on Occupational Safety and Health
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(ConnectiCOSH) praised lawmakers saying, "Businesses have a responsibility to both their customers
and employees to provide them with a safe environment in which to shop and work. They certainly wouldn't be allowed to open their doors if asbestos was hanging from the ceiling or lead paint peeling from the walls. Switching out receipt paper over a period of a few years seems like a small measure that I hope will make a big impact on consumer and worker health."

This year lawmakers and advocates in thirty states across the nation proposed legislation aimed at protecting people from harmful chemicals. In the last eight years, 18 states legislatures have passed more than 70 chemical safety laws by an overwhelming, bipartisan margin.

The Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut is made up of over 50 organizations representing health professionals, workers, nurses, businesses, environmentalists, occupational safety advocates, people of faith, and individuals whose health has been impacted by toxic chemicals.