A Word From Perfect Aire Concerning California Prop 65

Are Perfect Aire products safe to use? I didn’t purchase this product in California, why is Perfect Aire displaying this warning to me?

Perfect Aire products are safe to use and meet federal and state safety standards. Knowing that providing a warning label on packaging removes any potential of ambiguity, Perfect Aire has chosen to provide Prop 65 warning labels to the majority of its products.

What is Prop 65?

In the wake of major public concerns about cancer and reproductive health, California voters agreed to enact the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Proposition 65, or Prop 65. After becoming law in November of 1986, businesses in California, or selling in California, were required to provide clear warnings for Californians that may cause significant exposure to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm over time. The basis of Prop 65 is to help consumers make knowledgeable, informed decisions.

Every year California publishes a list of chemicals they deem to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. This list currently has over 900 chemicals on it, applying to thousands of products including everyday electrical wires, jewelry, pesticides, aspirin, some foods and cosmetics, and even places like restaurants, schools, and beaches. You can find the full list of chemicals here.

Who enforces Prop 65?

Proposition 65 is administered by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). OEHHA is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, which, in many cases, determines whether chemicals meet the scientific and legal requirements to be placed on the Prop 65 list.

Enforcement of Prop 65 is carried out by the California Attorney General’s Office, but any citizen can bring a Prop 65 case to the public. In the case that a manufacturer is brought to court for a Prop 65 violation, the burden of proof is on them to prove their product does not violate Prop 65 regulations.

These cases tend to be long and expensive, for this reason, manufacturers will often put Prop 65 labels on all products, even if they are sold outside of California.

What items have Prop 65 labels and are they safe to use?

Prop 65 warnings are common in California and appear on many products from gasoline, aspirin, birth control, and alcohol. While these warnings are common to people in California, people outside of California may be shocked to see these labels.

Prop 65 warnings are in place to help consumers make informed decisions. While California may find that a chemical is unsafe, this does not mean that the scientific community or other government organizations at large view these chemicals as cancerous or dangerous. There are a variety of examples that show a chemical being deemed as dangerous by California and not by the FDA or EPA.