Oregon's toxic household products law

In 1991, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to require the addition of an aversive agent to ethylene glycol-containing antifreeze and methanol- containing windshield wiper fluid. This new law, entitled "Toxic Household Products (THP) Act," was designed to reduce pediatric and animal poisonings from accidental ingestion of these two potentially lethal consumer automot ive products. While not the stated intention of the law addition of aversiv e agents to consumer automotive products could also reduce adult poisonings associated with intentional (suicides or alcoholics ingesting methanol-con taining windshield wiper fluid) or accidental exposures. This law went into effect April go, 1995, following settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Chemical Manufacturing Specialties Association (CSMA), a tr ade group representing the five largest manufacturers of ethylene glycol-ba sed antifreeze in the U.S. This paper discusses the major policy issues tha t arose following the passage of Oregon's THP Act. Major provisions of the law are provided along with a discussion of CSMA's opposition to the Act's implementation. A description of the eventual settlement that was reached w ith CSMA as well as the major components of Oregon Health Division's (OHD) enforcement program are also highlighted. Data are presented for 1987 throu gh 1998 on the number of exposures and severity of effects for pediatric ca ses (children < 6 years old) following exposure to both of these potentiall y lethal automotive products. However, because of the low incidence of expo sures each year, these data are insufficient to draw any conclusions on the impact of the THP Act.