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25 Law & Ineq. 203 (2007)
Dildos, Artificial Vaginas, and Phthalates: How Toxic Sex Toys Illustrate a Broader Problem for Consumer Protection

handle is hein.journals/lieq25 and id is 207 raw text is: Dildos, Artificial Vaginas, and Phthalates: How Toxic Sex Toys Illustrate a Broader Problem for Consumer Protection Zach Biesanz* Not long ago, Mattel, the world's largest toymaker, responded to pressure from consumer advocate and environmental groups, by changing the composition of its Barbie toys and ending its use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) through opting to use less toxic plastics.1 This appears to be a bold change, but some critics think it took too long: The company and the entire toy industry are dragging their feet. . ., said Jeff Wise, policy director of the National Environmental Trust.2 Children's toys are not the only PVC products that pose toxicity risks to consumers.3 Manufacturing sex toys is a major industry, and sales of sex toys are growing.4 However, a lack of regulation of these products has allowed manufacturers to exploit inexpensive but highly toxic materials in their fabrication to the quiet detriment of consumers.5 Recent studies show that some sex toys contain highly toxic chemicals, and knowledge of the effects of these toxins continues to unfold.6 This Note begins with background about the sex toy industry and the few laws that govern it. It then discusses the link between the composition of many sex toys and a family of toxins called phthalates. Finally, it explores the known toxicity of these phthalates, which seems more severe with each study released. The goal of this Note is to evaluate possible remedies to the problem presented by toxic sex toys by weighing the advantages * J.D. / M.S. Expected 2008, University of Minnesota; B.S., Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2004. Many thanks to Marten Finlator for his help with translation. 1. See Holcomb B. Noble, Barbie and Other Toys to Go on an Oil-Free Diet, N.Y. TIMES, Dec. 21, 1999, at F7. 2. Id. 3. See Section I.A.2 infra. 4. See Section L.A infra. 5. See Section I.A.2 infra. 6. See Section I.A.2 infra.