Document ZB3NmraqeOdmzVrXpgRw2rwop

KAHYLAITD - TCXIC ?~TIS:-~ 7/11/19 e f f e c t iv e June 1, th e S ta te o f J-i.ryliP.il made i t unlaw ful to s e l l toys snd p la y th in g s, g - c lu d in g c h ild r e n 's fu r n itu r e , fin ish e d with any m aterial con tain in g "lead or other substance o f a poison ous nature from contact w ith v.'hicls ch ild r en ray he in - .ffe cted ," u n le s s such a r t ic le s are so la b e le d as to show th at the fin is h contains lead or other poisonous substance. s a . rirsinal s ta tu te ,, and no a d rir.istr s t iv e agency i s author iced to issu e regu -. -.n.fm*i or e s ta b lis h the p ercen ta g es of v*.n o u s to x ic m a te r ia ls th at m y s a fe ly : od in f in is h e s th at w i l l not require the use o f vrsm irg lab e l s . S tate department o f H e -lth has undertnhe-n the enforcement o f t h is la v - enforce ment in the sense o f p o lic in g , w ithout in te r p r e ta tio n . I t has d iscla im -:-d r." o . i t y to issu e r e g u la tio n s , and has p o in ted out taint in Maryland, in crim in al c a se s, ju r ie s are judges o f b oth th e la v and the f a c t s , and th a t no ju ry would be bound by m y a ctio n or opinion o f the department. Toy and fu rn itu re dcodersin Maryland have demanded gua.rar.toos o f n o n -in ju rio u s f i n ish es from m anufacturers, who in turr. have demanded assu ran ces from members o f th is in d u str y . Some o f our members have sought sim ila r assu ran ces from rav m a terial man u fa ctu rers. So fa r r-.c v/e lmtovr, none leave been g iv en . The problem is d i f f i c u l t . Some in te r p r e t t h is la v as req u ir in g a la b e l i f a f in is h c . heins any lea d , fo r er'rrple, r eg a r d less o f p ercen ta g e. Me have in terp re ted i t "ore m.: r o \ly - as req u irin g la b e ls on ly ..lien f in is h e s co n ta in I : -5! or c'v.c-r ; u n 0" s cubst'-'oe from c in ta c t w ith -rich ch ild ren nay be in j u r io u s ly a f f e c t e d . dhis i ti-rgret-.t-ien i s supported by an u n o f f ic ia l opinion b y -th e A ttorney C-cnoral o f Mv.ylmd to the S ta te department o f H ealth. Me bear in r in d , ho1e v e r , fu st in ih .y * *. ` ho j. - '0 are j \ Igos of both las: and f a c t . "'ip s ar. r : -e ly d i f f i c u l t la v to oppose. It had p a ten t f a u l t s , end they v .v e g od d ed out, but the purpose, to p ro tect ch ild ren , vas lau d ab le, and could not be opposed. The bach-ground was u n fo rtu n a te. The Health department had a record o f th ir ty -o n e cases o f lo a d p o iso n in g o f ch ild ren in 19^8, four o f vhon d ied . Ten t ' ' o s 'save beer, rep o rted t h is y ea r. Tire d a ltiu o r c C ity H ealth department records "hos.' a to t a l of 2 1 3 cn ees o f le a d poie-or.iisg in c h ild r en ussier ten years of age sin ce 1931. in clud ing 7& d ea th s. I t s b u lle t i n appearod v is ile the b i l l vas b efo re the le g is la t u r e . Me are s c e p t ic a l o f the dir.groses but u n ab le to d isp u te then. It mssId b.ave been imprudent to gooir.t out tlsat the exposure from to.-s a id .c h ild ren ' fu sv itu r e i s n e g lig ib le and tlsat ch ild r en can con tact o th er f i a i s i .e s about the iu - e , diu.t mould have in v it e d broader l e g i s l a t i o n r e s t r i c t in g th e use o f lo a d , she M lt d -- more H ealth department in the May is s u e o f "Health ITo'-'s" Isas a lrea d y -a cred per oats: "Use only p a in t which doe6 not con tain lend fo r r e p a in tin g indoor s u r fe : a s , furriturc or tc y s .B - j 1 .m't fo r indoor u se u n less i t is fr e e from lend." '?.;u;vc olu pa in b from window s i l l s b efo re r epa. in: t ir.g w ith le n d -i see p a iIn_ t* Tt , 2 '.''.s "-'' I - s t fo r h r:, 1 s g i s l a t t o n . di.e p 0 3 : : b j l i t y t h a t v h . - r s ' , t-.-s ' 1 v / . v ; V ~27 ' I* --r 2 * \ " * ' 7 1 " " '. ' i t - C d. t NCA 0 03161 V.'e do n o t Itr.ovf enough ab ou t t h e t o n i c i t y o f t h e v a r io u s m a t e r i a l s u s e d b y c a r : d u s t r y . H e r e t o f o r e , t h e r e has beer, r.o o ; r a c ie r . f o r such an i n v e s t i g a t i o n . V.'e . h c u l d Vcr.ov: nore. I f cv.ch l e g i s l a t i o n a p p e a r s e l r e v h e r e , i t V o r .l d seem p r e f e r a b l e t o have a l a v : f e n c e d b y an a d m i n i s t r a t i v e a g e n c y v.-ith v;h.ich th e i n d u s t r y c o u ld d e a l . As sue: a r e n a " voulA p r o b a b l y Icr.ov l i t t l e o r n o t h i n ; o f th e t o n i c i t y o f our m a t e r i a l s , v o u ld b e ' - e l l f o r t h i s i n d u s t r y t o Imow f.s much a s p o s s i b l e and be p r e p a r e d to c -VC n r . ' . c t i c a l g u i d a n c e , -h e S c i e n t i f i c S e c t i o n Vans beer, e n p lc r ir .p a l l s o u r c e s o f In fc run tie r . and the C eric M a te r ia ls Ccar.itte e v i l l d o u b tle ss t?l:e the problem \ *n- c - f r>"r> r * n n -- k . o.. h-.CD-r.-'D 4 * l ii KC A 0 031 6