The banning of bisphenol A (BPA) in one single state is not a whole lot to celebrate. The optimist in me wants to say, “Yay! If California can do it, the rest of us can, too!” Unfortunately, I am feeling much more pragmatic today, and given the fact that California has routinely passed laws that support the environment, health, children’s issues, and plenty of other things I care about over the past couple of decades (at least) that my state still has yet to even give a damn about, I’m not going to hold my breath.

And the chemical is still being allowed to be manufactured. The ban, recently passed by the California House of Representatives, is part of the Toxic-Free Babies and Toddlers Act—which, as you might guess, means that the chemical is only being banned from materials meant for people ages three and under.

People ages four—my daughter’s age—and over are, of course, still unprotected from the chemical.  

It is true that exposure to BPA is at its worst during infancy. It can cause hormonal imbalances, birth defects, diabetes, infertility, early menstrual cycles, prostate and breast cancer, and has even been linked to obesity. However, these factors impact everyone—not just infants but the rest of our children, our families, and ourselves—and we shouldn’t stand for it to be in a single one of our products (along with hundreds of other chemicals the FDA fails to regulate on a regular basis).

It’s not just a study or two that indicates the problems of BPA, either. Over 200 studies have proven that the chemical is not safe for humans, yet we are continually exposed to it on a daily basis. It’s used in plastic containers—often for foods—as well as other items, which means that most of our homes are full of the stuff. Nearly all Americans who’ve been tested for the substance have it in their blood, as well.

At least I can say that I’m not alone in my outrage—and that we’re still fighting. The Natural Resources Defense Council is suing the FDA for their failure to regulate the toxic chemical. After asking for a ban years ago, delivering a citizen’s petition, and not being granted one, the NRDC is suing them. And though I can’t stand the number of lawsuits that litter our country, I don’t think this one is frivolous at all. In fact, something needs to be done to get the FDA off their butts and on to protecting U.S. citizens from harmful chemicals. If dozens of other nations can ban over 100 chemicals to protect their citizens from them and ours can’t, there is a big problem. This is no different from people suing tobacco companies, factories with asbestos, or other harmful industries that knew they were hurting people and did nothing about it—only, it’s larger-scale, since it affects all of us.

I applaud you, NRDC, and hope that you can at least get the FDA moving on banning one of dozens of toxic chemicals they allow to exist in our products.