Before the development of modern product safety standards, consumers simply had to gamble on the safety of every thing. A few examples serve as grim reminders of what life was like before products and medical treatments were evaluated for safety prior to human exposure. Early cures for tapeworm parasites caused blindness. Around the turn of the century, physicians treated syphilis patients with compounds that caused ner vous system complications and, sometimes, death. In the early 1930's, an untested eyelash dye was marketed, resulting in cases of blindness and at least one death. This tragedy and another unfortunate episode in which 107 people died as the result of taking an untested cough medicine led to the pas- sage of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938. This federal law mandated that drugs be tested for safety before they are marketed. In contrast, today many new compounds proposed for commercial or medical use never even reach the public marketplace because of safety problems identified by premarket testing. The pesticide 2-AAF (2-acetylamino fluorene) was thought to be a promising chemical for reducing crop loss and expanding agricultural production. Safety research, however, indicated that 2-AAF might be a potent carcinogen (cancer-causing chemical). As a result, the pesticide was not brought to market, and general human exposure was avoided. (next page)
				PRODUCT SAFETY FACTS DID YOU KNOW THAT: Poison Control Centers in the United States receive almost 1.6 million calls related to “poisonings” each year. Young children are involved in more than 60% of these exposures. When accidents happen or products are misused, safety testing data helps poison control centers and emergency room physicians to understand which exposures are actually harmful and how to treat these patients in time to prevent serious consequences. Animals benefit from safety research too. It’s important to know how to safely use products near pets, livestock, and animals in the wild. Information on accidental overdosing or misuse that is designed to protect humans is also used to address animal concerns. In 1991, over 40,000 cases of poisoning in animals were reported to poison control centers. Most of these were accidents involving pets. Just because an ingredient is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. Many plants and plant extracts can cause harmful health effects ranging from mild irritation to even death—for example, mistletoe and oleander. For safety in the home, learn which common plants are poisonous and keep them out of the reach of young children and pets.