According to a report issued by the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, more than 7 million accidental poisonings occur each year, with more than 75% involving children under age 6.

The 1990 Toronto Indoor Air Conference reported that women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. A 15-year study concluded that it was a direct result of the much higher exposure rate to toxic chemicals in common household products.

A 1985 E.P.A. report suggested that the toxic chemicals in household cleaners are THREE times (our emphasis) more likely to cause cancer than air pollution.

The American Cancer Society has shown that cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been conclusively linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.

Marc Lappe, Ph.D., author of Chemical Deception writes, "The body commits a certain portion of its cellular activity to the recognition and elimination of chemical threats — the immune system, skin, liver and kidneys are the major lines of defense against chemical insults. The skin easily absorbs chemicals and because of this absorption, cancers in the body have increased."

Debra Lynn Dadd, in her Natural and Non-Toxic Consumer Guide explains that cleaning products are among the most hazardous products you'll find in your home — so much so that they're regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. This particular act focuses on only immediate effects if not used according to instructions. Most can be harmful during normal use as instructed, but it isn't required by law to mention this on the label.

What's even more disturbing is that the chemicals in cleaning products can also have devastating effects over time, something cautionary labels overlook. Unfortunately, this is how we're exposed to cleaning products — over time, daily, for many years. Even if you don't have obvious and immediate reactions, say, a skin rash or dizziness while using these products, after years of exposure and cumulative buildup in the tissues and organs, the body may respond with heart disease, pulmonary conditions, cancers or chronic damage to the liver or immune system. Some may also cause birth defects and genetic changes.

One of the biggest obstacles to assessing potential dangers lurking on the product shelves is that manufacturers aren't currently required to list the exact ingredients on the product label, making it difficult at best to determine what's inside the bottle. Even the federal government and poison control centers experience difficulty in breaking the code of "trade secrecy" or "proprietary formulas" surrounding cleaning products. A study done by the New York Poison Control Center found that 85% of the product warning labels studied were inadequate.

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