I am so excited to share with you that Breast Cancer Prevention Partners’ (BCPP) has secured another monumental public health victory—and we couldn’t have done it without you!
We are so proud to have drafted co-sponsored, advocated for, and secured passage of the historic, which bans the toxic phthalate DEHP from IV bags and tubing in California. Toxic-Free Medical Devices Act (AB 2300), which bans the toxic phthalate DEHP from IV bags and tubing in California.
And NOW—Baxter International, the company responsible for making and selling the majority of the toxic DEHP IV bags in the U.S., has announced it will transition to DEHP-Free IVs not just in California, but nationwide!
As a reminder, DEHP is a highly toxic phthalate that is used to make PVC plastic soft and flexible. Because it is not a stable molecule, it leaches out of IV bags and tubing into the medicine being transfused into patients, where it can create drug resistance and even stop chemotherapy from killing breast cancer cells.
DEHP exposure is linked to serious health concerns, including breast, liver, lung and testicular cancers. Seventy percent of the IV bags used in the U.S. are made from DEHP. The vast majority of those IV bags are supplied by one global corporation: Baxter.
Baxter’s commitment to phase out of toxic DEHP will touch every hospital in every state across America where the multinational giant sells IV bags and tubing—impacting millions of people, from neonates to cancer patients and everyone in between.
This didn’t happen by chance. It happened because:
- Our legislation put pressure on them.
- We mobilized hospitals and nurses to advocate for DEHP-free IVs.
- And our Policy team met with their senior leadership to demand they go DEHP-free.
We pushed them hard, because patient safety deserves a fight.
This is a huge win for BCPP, proving once again that as the 4th largest economy in the world, our California legislative victories have an important ripple effect nationwide. Using our legislative wins to move policy and markets toward safer products isn’t new to us—we also banned phthalates in children’s toys across the country.
When your health is on the line, BCPP doesn’t back down. We step up, we speak up, and we secure victories that protect your health and the health of future generations.
This is such an important victory, but our work isn’t over. Baxter’s message is problematic because it:
- Downplays the well-established science on the dangers of DEHP.
- Delays its phase-out of DEHP in IV bags and tubing until
- Ignores the perils of its continued use of PVC as the base polymer for its IVs, a toxic plastic it promised its shareholders 25 years ago to stop using because of its negative impact on people and planet across its entire lifecycle.
- Fails to disclose the identity or the safety of the DEHP substitute it will be using.
We are proud that our efforts convinced Baxter to pledge to stop making and selling IVs with toxic DEHP nationwide —and we could not have done it without your support which makes our vital work possible.
Yet Baxter has misled the public and broken its promises before. You can help us make sure this doesn’t happen again.
Your gift will help us keep Baxter accountable and ensure we keep up the pressure so that every patient—everywhere—is treated with IVs free of harmful chemicals.
Together, we’ve proven change is possible. Let’s keep the victories coming!
