Antibacterial hand soap ban in Minnesota has been mandated by the state due to a chemical found in the mentioned soap. According to the Associated Press, the chemical is triclosan, and it has been proven to be harmful in humans in recent years. Now, the antibacterial hand soap ban in Minnesota gets its first ban in the state.
On Friday, Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill to make Minnesota the first state to prohibit the use of triclosan in most retail consumer hygiene products. According to Fox News, the Minnesota House and Senate reportedly passed it earlier last week because of health and environmental concerns about the chemical.
Gizmodo reports that Minnesota has now become the first state to officially ban antibacterial hand soap. The antibacterial hand soap ban in Minnesota will reportedly take effect in Jan. 1, 2017. It will apply to pretty much any retail consumer hygiene products which has triclosan as an active ingredient, of which includes about 75 percent of anti-bacterial soaps.
One of the antibacterial hand soap ban in Minnesota's lead sponsors, state Sen. John Marty have predicted on Monday that the odds are good that most manufacturers will phase out triclosan by the time Jan. 2017 comes. Marty said, "While this is an effort to ban triclosan from one of the 50 states, I think it will have a greater impact than that." He noted that Procter & Gamble's Crest toothpaste is now even marketing itself as triclosan-free.
According to the FDA, there is no evidence that triclosan soap is any more effective at washing away germs than non-antibacterial soap and water. Recent studies also say that triclosan can "disrupt hormones critical for reproduction and development, at least in lab animals, and contribute to the development of resistant bacteria." This could mean that triclosan is not doing anything good to the human body, hence the antibacterial hand soap ban in Minnesota.
According to the Associated Press, though the antibacterial hand soap ban in Minnesota is a first to pass an overarching ban, there is reportedly a good chance that other states will follow suit.
Triclosan is reportedly also getting heavier regulations nation-wide. This past December, the FDA ruled that anti-bacterial soap manufactures would have to prove that their soaps are not only safe, but also more effective than plain soap or water. Otherwise, a manufacturer would have to reformulate their products or remove anti-bacterial claims from the labels. Meanwhile, the agency is still accepting public comments on the proposal.
The Associated Press reports that a study published by the University of Minnesota last year has reportedly found increasing levels of triclosan in the sediments of several lakes. Dayton ordered all state agencies to stop buying hand soaps and dish and laundry cleaners containing triclosan two months later after the study was published. Now, it's the antibacterial hand soap ban in Minnesota.
Fox News reports that some manufacturers have reportedly announced plans over the last couple years to at least partially phase out triclosan. Procter & Gamble reportedly plans to finish dropping the chemical from its products this year. Johnson & Johnson also plans to completely remove all its consumer products by 2015.
Antibacterial hand soap ban in Minnesota has been mandated for good reasons. It is a hope that other states will follow their example soon.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
