“It all began with the cigarette, the leading cause of fires in the United States. Against pressure to create cigarettes that safely extinguish on upholstery, the tobacco industry redirected the blame onto furniture manufacturers, claiming that they have a responsibility to make furniture less susceptible to fire. The door was opened for the chemical industry, which lobbied heavily for the use of flame-retardants in furniture. The very law supposed to protect our rights now required the use of toxic chemicals in household products. Investigative reporters at the Chicago Tribune first published this alarming series of events.

Research strongly connects the chemicals in flame retardants to cancer. Firefighters are disproportionately affected because of their consistent exposure to the chemical fumes released from furniture in fires. The toxins are found in human bodies and in breast milk; children are among the most susceptible.” Link: https://green.harvard.edu/news/uncovering-flame-retardant-scandal

Yeah I definitely don’t trust the government on this issue. It’s serious, linked to cancer, endocrine problems, all kinds of things. Plus they don’t actually prevent fires, and when they do ignite, they create serious health hazards for fire fighters, it’s seriously fucked. There’s hundreds of different kinds of FRs, and they’re still being studied individually. It’s very difficult to get a clear picture of one’s own personal risk. As a consumer, since there is no way of knowing which products contain which chemicals, I opt to avoid them as much as possible by choosing untreated alternatives. Why risk it.

The ‘how’ is to spend hours researching and comparing and reading anecdotal events then making a purchase. Trying it. Then returning it. Repeat.