Resolution tougher than story portrayed
Steve Toloken's April 16 story "Coalition seeks phthalates testing funds" (Page 20) inaccurately characterized the recent resolution passed by the California Medical Association when he wrote, "The California Medical Association passed a resolution recently urging further study of DEHP-containing products in pediatric intensive-care units. But it rejected tougher language, a CMA spokesman said."
The resolution that was passed went well beyond calling only for further study of DEHP. The declaration also:
"Strongly urges all hospitals to phase out their use of PVC products containing DEHP in neonatal intensive-care units and encourages the use of commercially available alternatives.
"Calls upon health professionals, especially those involved in the care of critically ill infants, to encourage the institutions with which they are associated to adopt purchasing policies that will lead to the increasing use of non-DEHP medical devices in neonatal intensive-care units.
"Encourages medical device manufacturers to continue developing PVC-free and DEHP-free medical devices while phasing out production of those that contain PVC and/or DEHP due to problems associated with their disposal.
The full text of the CMA resolution appears on CMA's Web site, www.cmanet.org.
We urge Plastics News reporters to be more thorough in their review of the facts. PN readers deserve a full representation of the information, which should not be compromised at the expense of a deadline.
Robert Gould
Physicians for Social
Responsibility
Jackie Hunt Christensen
Health Care Without Harm
Minneapolis
Letter writer omits interesting detail
I note with interest the recent strong disagreement (in an April 16, Page 6 letter to the editor written) by Paul E. Smith (president of Pacific Allied Products Ltd. in Kapolei, Hawaii) relating to a position taken by your publication. He voiced opposition to Plastics News' advocacy of plastic bottle deposits in legislation being considered in Hawaii.
Although I personally have no role or position on the pending legislation, it should be noted that Mr. Smith is in the plastic bottle molding business in Hawaii, simultaneously supplying plastic bottles to both Pepsi and Coke, contracts that are perhaps unique to those islands. Perhaps that fact was inadvertently omitted by either you or Mr. Smith.
Jan E. Fersing
Therma Foam Inc.
Fort Worth, Texas