USA Today Gets Burned By Flame Retardant Hoax
Paul F. Stifflemire, Jr.

     “The chemicals have been found in potentially harmful levels in human breast milk, and recent widely reported studies found that U.S. mothers had levels 10 to 20 times higher than mothers in Europe.” So writes Elizabeth Weise in her article “Flame retardants may be phased out” (USA Today October 26).

     Weise and USA Today are guilty of disseminating a falsehood. The words: “potentially harmful levels” are not factual. No scientific evidence exists that “flame retardant chemicals” mentioned in the article have any adverse health effects whatever. The Environmental Working Group—fundamentally an environmental fear factory— considers “harmful” any chemical that can be detected in humans or in the environment because they label every chemical substance known to man as “toxic.” While everything is harmful at some level, including salt, sugar, oxygen, and even pure water; only fanatics would call them toxic and suggest they be banned or eliminated. Detect a “chemical” at even the tiniest level however, and EWG wants it eradicated and the manufacturer punished for having lawfully conducted its business.

     It appears EWG simply believes chemicals should not exist, and news outlets like USA Today aid and abet their attempts to frighten the public by publishing unvarnished EWG propaganda to the effect that flame retardants are “toxic,” that they’re showing up in our bloodstream, and they may have “health effects.” Those who point out that there is no scientific substantiation of any adverse health effects are accused of “spin” and EWG demands that the manufacturer either prove a negative or cease production. What must cease is credulous reporting by USA Today and others of malodorous propaganda from the likes of EWG.

Paul F. Stifflemire, Jr. is Director of the Media Research Center’s Business & Media Institute

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