Washington Extends BPA Ban to Sports Bottles

The Washington Department of Ecology has implemented the second part of
a statewide measure “banning the sale of certain products containing BPA,”
which now includes sports bottles with capacity up to 64 ounces. As of July 1,
2012, sport bottles containing bisphenol A (BPA) can no longer “be made, sold
or distributed” in the state in accordance with a 2010 law passed by the state
legislature. The first phase of the law, which took effect July 1, 2011, already
prohibits “bottles, cups or other containers intended for children under age
3 that contain BPA,” although “cans designed to hold or pack food will still be
allowed to contain BPA.”

“A number of national and international scientific organizations have
expressed concerns that BPA can interfere with the body’s hormonal system,”
said the department in a July 11, 2012, press release. “Recent studies suggest
some children may be exposed to enough BPA in their diet to be harmful…
BPA can affect brain development, behavior, and the prostate gland.”