Some products sold by Kite Garden or on http://www.kitegarden.com could contain or may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Kite Garden has chosen to provide a warning based on the possibility of the presence of one or more listed chemicals without evaluating the exposure. Products may contain chemicals in amounts acceptable by the safe harbor levels as outline by Proposition 65, or not at all, however we have chosen to issue this warning on all products as an act of caution.
California Proposition 65 Warning
Proposition 65, also know as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, is a right to know law that requires warnings be provided to California consumers when they might be exposed to chemicals identified by California as causing cancer or reproductive toxicity. The warnings are intended to help Californian consumers make informed decisions about their exposures to these chemicals from the products they use. The law states that Californians have a right to know if a chemical may cause "more than 1 extra case of cancer in 100,000 people over a 70-year lifetime". The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) administers the Proposition 65 program and publishes the listed chemicals, which includes more than 850 chemicals. In August 2016, OEHHA adopted new regulations, effective on August 30, 2018, which change the information required in Proposition 65 warnings.
WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Q: Why is there a warning on the Label or Package that the product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm?
A: This warning is provided pursuant to a California law known as Proposition 65. Under Proposition 65, California maintains a list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Any company whose product contains one or more of the roughly 800 Proposition 65 listed chemicals must provide a notice to Californian consumers unless it can prove that any exposure is below a scientifically-established level.
Q: Does this mean the product is not safe to use?
A: The current Proposition 65 list includes over 800 chemicals, including chemicals used in many foods, dyes, and household items, and the notice requirement can apply even if a product uses very small quantities of a listed chemical. California has acknowledged that "the fact that a product bears a Proposition 65 warning does not by itself mean that the product is unsafe". See Proposition 65 in Plain Language!(ca.gov)
Proposition 65 requires companies to provide a consumer notice for exposures to listed chemicals unless the company can prove that exposure levels are 1000 times less than a scientifically-established safe level. While the exposure level of Prop-65 listed chemicals from the use of Kite Garden products may be well below the level of no observable effect, proving that exposure is 1000 times less than this threshold can be difficult and costly on a per product basis. Consequently, Kite Garden, out of an abundance of caution, has opted to provide the Proposition 65 consumer notice.
Q: What precautions can I take to reduce my exposure to possible chemicals?
A: Your risk from exposure to these chemicals varies, depending on how often you do use this type of product. To reduce your exposure, never abrade, scratch, place product in body, consume or chew products, if product is abraded creating dust properly clean up the dust with approved safety equipment, such as gloves and dust masks that are specially designed to filter out microscopic particles and always wash hands after handling.
Additional Information about Proposition 65
For background on the new Proposition 65 warnings, see https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/new-proposition-65-warnings.
Proposition 65 and its regulations are posted at https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/law/proposition-65-law-and-regulations.