Toxic toys bill could cause an increase in burn victims, doctor says

The “Toxic Toys” bill, which would ban certain flame retardants from being used in children’s toys and products, would cost the state an estimated $400,000 in the next two-year budget cycle to implement. But the state isn’t considering the cost of treating more burn victims, said David Heimbach, the former director of the University of Washington Burn Center, who testified at the Senate Ways & Means committee on Thursday.

“Burns are the most expensive disease people can have,” Heimbach said. Children from lower socio-economic classes make up the majority of burn victims, he said, and they tend to be Medicaid patients who cost “money out of the state budget.”

Physician Laura Hart countered that the bill would “save significant healthcare dollars” in the long run. That’s because diseases like asthma, cancer and birth disabilities are linked to the chemicals in question, she said, and cost $1.8 billion a year to treat. The committee took no action on the bill.

Tags: toxic toys, Ways & Means