DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I couldn’t make it to one of my oldest friend’s wedding in California, but I still wanted to get her and her new husband something. I have a set of pots and pans that are absolutely fantastic, and I ordered a set from the same manufacturer, which is a major brand, and had it shipped to my friend and her husband.
She sent me a thank you note along with the pots saying she was returning them because they have a P65 warning, and she wasn’t comfortable having them in her house, especially since she and her husband are planning on starting a family in the next year or two.
I had to look up what a P65 warning is and found out that California has this massive list of things that “are known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm.” WTF???!!!
So I Venmoed the happy couple a gift and am planning to give my little sister the perfectly safe cooking set when she gets married this fall.
I can understand my friend wanting to be safe, but isn’t this a little nuts to brainwash a whole state into believing so many things are going to kill you? --- THIS IS NUTS
DEAR THIS IS NUTS: Like you, I wasn’t aware of the extent of California’s health warnings until a couple years ago when I was visiting the state and one of the more memorable warning signs I saw was in a parking garage alerting me of the dangers of the building to which it was attached.
While I agree that it makes sense to alert consumers about actual, solidly established real or potential hazards, I can’t imagine living in fear of the vast majority of the world around me, including everyday items in my own home.