Environmental group Greenpeace called on the European Union to ban the use of chemical plastic softeners in sex toys because they contained dangerous substances known as phthalates.
"Adult sex toys contain the same toxic substances that EU banned from use in children's toys," said Greenpeace.
The environmental group said it was shocked to find that seven of the eight sex toys it had tested contained between 24% and 51% of phthalates.
"It is unbelievable that such toxic substances can be used in adult toys." Said Greenpeace spokesperson Bart van Opzeeland adding "The last few years we've tested a lot of products but never before did we find such high concentrations.'
Greenpeace research has shown that phthalates can disrupt the human hormonal system, diminish fertility and adversely affect the kidneys and liver. The substance is used to soften plastics and PVC plastic.
The use of phthalates in the production of children's toys was outlawed several years ago. There are some sex toys that Passion8 have always refused to sell, even though our suppliers tell us they are "best-sellers" but we have found them to be particularly offensive. There are some toys that we know if we leave them on a sheet of paper, chemicals leach out into the paper within minutes - if those chemicals are leaching out onto paper, then they will be leaching into our bodies when we use them. The intimate use of toxic sex toys means a fast track for phthalates getting into our systems.
Some sex toys manufacturers have been slow to respond to our concerns, there are several body friendly styles available and these are the ones that we here at Passion8 are championing. Passion8 feels that if it can expose this modern-day sex scandal then this will help our customers make an informed decision about choosing a safe-sex toy. We know that once sales of phthalate sex toys start to faulter, the cash-rich manufacturers will wake up and start to make the end users (literally) safety of paramount importance and find other compounds to use in the manufacture of sex toys, just like children's toy manufacturers did several years ago. Greenpeace stressed that a ban on phthalates would not mean the disappearance of people's favourite sex toys as there are plenty of non-toxic alternatives.
The report from Greenpeace was obviously a "warning shot" to a number of sex toy manufacturers, it can only be hoped that sex toy manufacturers will not need to be legislated against and that their consciences will be pricked and they will self-regulate and stop using phthalates.
Passion8 is on the case, and we'll keep you posted.
Stephanie@Passion8 January 1st 2007
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