Mickey Mouse: Crack Dealer?

How is it possible that back-to-school shopping has become a threat to your child's health?!? I am absolutely amazed that Disney has this warning on its website. Here I am looking at Tinker Bell backpacks and trying to comparison shop for these expensive items, check if they are milking you by charging for the lunch tote separately and so on ... and what is the disclaimer I run into?

WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer, or birth defects or other reproductive harm.
http://disneyshopping.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=10002&storeId=10051&productId=1232818&langId=-1&categoryId=14515

Is this a joke? Are they kidding me? Tinker Bell lunch tote? Same thing. Ariel is no better. How is a behemoth corporation like Disney getting away with selling things to our children that has this warning as part of its item description -- for something you are going to pack lunches in for G-d's sake?!?!? No apologies, no consequences, just the warning (at the bottom, of course, where maybe not as many people will scroll down and actually read all of the fine print).

So, again, that leaves us moms (and dads and grandparents and whoever else loves kids and is shopping for them) left to lobbying for legislation ... because selling poison to our kids is something that would naturally be allowed unless we otherwise protest, right?

Luckily, there are groups like MomsRising.org and resources like the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) that are trying to organize the efforts. Seems California has been paying attention (http://www.ewg.org/node/26468) but there has also been national outcry regarding baby bottles (http://www.chej.org/BPA_Website.htm) and PVC in so many of the products in our homes and schools (http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/) and triclosan which is in a lot of antibacterial products (http://www.ewg.org/reports/triclosan or also see http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/weird_science_bust_a_myth_week/). And let's not forget the fun lead recalls at holiday gift giving time (http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/shopunshop/10GreenToys.cfm).

Of course, everything is open to interpretation and there are lots of voices on the other side pushing back that everything is fine and the levels are not high enough to really do any harm (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120277954938660931.html?mod=todays_us_nonsub_marketplace) or (http://www.mercurynews.com/healthandscience/ci_9542075?nclick_check=1) just for example.

The point is to just be more aware, educate yourself and decide for yourself -- we all make judgment calls and that should not change, everyone has a different set of criteria, a different comfort zone. But consider finding ways to take small, quick actions that can make a difference for your kids and everyone else's (using one refillable water bottle rather than buying cases of bottled water -- don't ask me what the damn thing should be made of because that is still not clear to me with all the plastic concerns, I have read stainless steel and some other options like aluminum or neoprene or some such thing(http://www.reusablebags.com/store/sigg-traveler-classics-reusable-bottles-p-207.html) but I am still not sure on this one myself (http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/cms/File/TOTB_institution_pledge.pdf) .
And then they wonder why people throw their hands up and do nothing, I know, I know ...