Other Issues

As state lawmakers continue to explore expanded responsibility for producers of products, a policy known as extended producer responsibility (EPR), it is likely manufacturer funded drug take-back laws will continue to be probed throughout the country.

In 1986, California voters overwhelmingly approved the State Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, commonly known as Proposition (Prop) 65. Prop 65 was designed to safeguard the state’s drinking water against chemicals known to the state to harm humans by requiring industry to inform Californians about exposures to such chemicals within the products or services they provide for sale to the public.

OTC medical devices like bandages, menstrual products, face masks, and at-home test kits, used for the purposes of prevention, testing, and treatment are well-accepted, cost saving elements of the healthcare system. Unfortunately, most states that have a retail sales tax, include a tax on the sale of some or all OTC healthcare products. More than 40 states, on the other hand, exempt sales tax of prescription drugs.

Despite the critical role sunscreens play in a healthy self-care routine, some state lawmakers are working to restrict sales of chemical sunscreens and key ingredients due to perceived environmental and human health impacts.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) released the following statement today in response to Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC filing a Citizen Petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requesting the Agency “recall and suspend sales of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) from the US Market due to the presence of benzene.”

In recent years, several states have taken proactive steps to address plastic pollution and promote sustainability by implementing post-consumer recycled (PCR) content mandates for packaging. These laws require manufacturers to incorporate a minimum percentage of recycled materials in their packaging products.

CHPA and several of its member companies who manufacture and market leading over-the-counter oral care products, including Colgate-Palmolive, Haleon, Kenvue, Lornamead, Procter & Gamble, and Sanofi, joined Members of Congress on Capitol Hill this week to celebrate the introduction of HR 8599, the Oral Health Products Inclusion Act.