Hacker News Reader

Comment by entrope | Hacker News Reader

I've read the list of materials that California knows cause cancer and birth defects. It lists things that people encounter every day. Alcoholic beverages, aloe leaf extract and aspirin are some of the most notable examples from the "A" section.

https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/proposition-65-list

View on HN

Well, here in France, pregnant women are also discouraged from drinking alcohol because of birth defects.

I don't know about aloe extract, but pregnant women are also discouraged from taking aspirin.

Here's a random online store selling it, with a big warning for "usage during pregnancy and breastfeeding" (French only): https://lasante.net/nos-medicaments/douleurs-et-fievres/aspi...

Yes, but California requires prominent signs for any business premise where these materials are found, and the incentives are to not provide any further detail about which substances are present. So a gas station will have a Prop 65 sign; is there a hazard beyond automobile exhaust? It's legally less risky for the business to not say. Similarly for a store that sells alcoholic beverages; should customers take protective measures besides not drinking alcohol? It's less risky for the business to not say. The signs are too common, and too vague, to satisfy the intent of the law.

Oh, I thought those signs were on the products themselves. I was probably confused because of the "handlebars being a cancer risk" comment.

>> Alcoholic beverages, aloe leaf extract and aspirin

Where I am, they all are known to cause birth defects. I never met woman with children that didn't take measures to avoid them (and a dozen of other products with similar effects) during pregnancy.

If you liken your bike to them, that's, uh. That's one hell of a bike. Probably should stay away from pregnant woman while riding it, huh

Asbestos, leaded gasoline, lead based paint, etc were things encountered everyday in the past. This is how science progresses and how our life expectancy and active life expectancy go up.

At the risk of stating the obvious, California's law only requires property owners to declare the presence of hazardous substances, not to reduce or even identify them.

In that case, I withdraw my complaint and say that the whole think is just window dressing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com