Asbestos Found in Claire's and Justice Products

Children and teens are being exposed to dangerous chemicals at a young age. Asbestos was found by the FDA in makeup sold at stores like Claire’s and Justice. Asbestos is a dangerous mineral that readily separates into long flexible fibers. It has been linked to medical issues like asbestosis, a lung disease, and certain types of cancers. In the 1970s, scientists found that inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and other serious lung diseases. The health impacts were deemed so dangerous that in 1989 the US Government banned the manufacture, use, and export of most products made with asbestos (“What Is Asbestos? How Does It Cause Cancer?”). These dangerous chemicals have now resurfaced in everyday makeup products that are found at Claire’s and Justice stores (Kelly, 2019). These stores are popular and tailored to reach a wide scope of consumers, from young girls to adults. Harmful exposure to chemicals puts consumers at risk, and should not be occurring.

Kelly, C. (2019, Mar 05). FDA says tests confirm asbestos in makeup from claire's, justice. USA Today

(Online)https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2264381434?accountid=35939

“What Is Asbestos? How Does It Cause Cancer?” Mesothelioma Center - Vital Services for Cancer Patients

&Families, www.asbestos.com/asbestos/.

Current Chemicals in Products are Unsafe for Consumers

The current chemicals used in many consumer products and manufacturing are not safe. For example, Danielle Knight, a writer for the Inter Press Service wrote, “Each year, thousands of new chemicals appear in the marketplace and, while they are screened for possible acute dangers to human health, including the ability to cause cancer, most of the synthetic insecticides and chemicals found in plastics are not screened for long-term impact” (Knight, 1999). New chemicals are only screened for possible “acute dangers”, meaning they are only screened for potential short term problems. This quote shows that many plastics are not screened for long term side effects and could contain dangerous chemicals. The unsafe use of certain chemicals in products is an example of social disorganization in sociology.

Knight, D. (1999). New health concerns over widely-used chemicals Retrieved from

https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265787837?accountid=35939

High Mortality Rate due to Chemical Exposure

Historically, death due to chemical exposure has been extremely high. According to the World Health Organization, in 2004 there were 4.9 million deaths (8.3% of all deaths) that were due to environmental exposure to selected chemicals (“Chemicals”). The high number of deaths due to toxic chemicals is an indicator of societal failure and that a change needs to be made

“Chemicals”. (2017, November 3). World Health Organization

https://www.who.int/gho/phe/chemical_safety/en/.