Millions of dollars worth of vinyl toys pulled from store shelves at the behest of Greenpeace and other groups pose no medical threats, according to a panel of leading physicians and scientists chaired by C. Everett Koop, former U.S. surgeon general. A report by the panel found no scientific evidence that two plastic softeners known as phthalates can cause cancer, as Greenpeace had claimed. In addition to toys, the phthalates are used in a variety of medical devices, including IV bags. Koop, in an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, says the two phthalate chemicals can be added to “the ever-growing list of phony health scares” peddled to Americans by consumer groups.
