From New Jersey Newsroom:"Amid continued concern about children's jewelry tainted with toxic materials, the [New Jersey] Assembly will also consider legislation targeting unsafe jewelry. The bill comes after 55,000 "Princess and the Frog" necklaces were recalled because they may contain high levels of the toxic heavy metal cadmium. Under the bill (A-2076), no one may sell, distribute, import or manufacture jewelry in New Jersey that contains materials classified as unsafe. The bill also includes stricter restrictions on materials used in children's jewelry and body piercing jewelry. 'Buying a necklace or a charm bracelet shouldn't bring about fears of lead and mercury poisoning, yet the health and safety of New Jerseyans are at risk,' said Assemblyman Patrick J. Diegnan (D-Middlesex), a co-sponsor. 'It's time these harmful products are taken down from store shelves for good.'" [Emphasis added]
Assemblyman Diegnan, noble Democrat of Middlesex, I am getting sick of listening to headline-seeking politicians who have absolutely NO idea what they are talking about. The January 11 AP story you refer to found a small handful of jewelry with cadmium present. There was no mention of mercury or lead . . . . As to cadmium, the CPSC says they have little or no data on ingestion of cadmium in children and can't even say (based on available data) that cadmium is a carcinogen through ingestion in children (the current evidence on cadmium involves workplace exposure or inhalation, a horse of a different color). Where did you come up with lead and mercury poisoning from jewelry? Was cadmium not scary enough to get you reelected? Do you have any idea if the presence of cadmium in jewelry is even an issue? Science be damned.
This kind of idiocy brings to mind one of the most memorable of our nation's discarded political parties, the Know-Nothings of the 1840's and 50's. This aptly-named party died a well-deserved slow death . . . but seems to have risen from the dead in the form of today's Democrats.
Know-Nothings, we can't let them take over!
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Wow. Am I incorrect in my failure to find a single mention of the dreaded cadmium or mercury in the language of the bill? Is this just a case of the "me too"s? Looks like it to me...
I cnanot find a single mention of cadmium or mercury in the bill either. This bill seems to track some of the implementation documents of the CPSIA and works by outlawing everything in jewelry not on the certified "lead-free" list.
Here is the current link to the bill (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A2500/2076_R1.PDF) and here is the current link to the statement accompanying the bill (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A2500/2076_S2.PDF). [You may need to cut and paste the links into your browser.]
It appears they ban cadmium and mercury by implication: "Under the bill, no one may sell at retail, offer for sale at retail, distribute, import, or manufacture any jewelry unless that jewelry is made entirely from a material in one of the three classes, or a combination thereof."
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