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Read the Label FIRST! Campaign Announced at Flower Show

Release Date: 03/14/2000
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042)

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and members of the garden and household products industry today announced a New England-wide campaign to encourage consumers to read the information on product labels to protect their children, their homes, their gardens and themselves.

At a press conference at the New England Flower Show, EPA and its partners in the Consumer Labeling Initiative urged all gardeners, parents and residents to take the time to read labels on garden and household products that could be dangerous. The press conference took place on the morning of Home Gardeners Night at the flower show.

"Protecting public health, especially the health of children, works best when citizens are armed with better information to use in their homes and communities," said Mindy S. Lubber, acting regional administrator of EPA New England. "This campaign helps consumers make informed choices in purchasing products and using them safely, when they are needed"

The Consumer Labeling Initiative is a voluntary partnership to improve labels and help the public use products more safely. The campaign coincides with new, easier-to-read labels on many home pesticide and cleaning products now on store shelves.

"The more we know about the garden products we buy, the safer we will be,"said Lubber. "The 'Read the Label FIRST' initiative reminds us to read labels so that we know what we are using, how much to use and what potential risks are involved. Manufacturers have done a good job in making the labels on our pesticides, fertilizers and home cleaning agents easier than ever to understand."

After three years of research on how consumers use product labels, many manufacturers are voluntarily changing labels to make them easier to read and understand. Language has been simplified. For example, the phrase, "Statement of Practical Treatment" is replaced with a more use-friendly "First Aid." With the help of poison control centers and other health professionals, first aid directions on labels are now easier to understand. The new labels also present information in a clearer more attractive way.

APesticides, like any other tools, can be dangerous if you don't know how to use and dispose of them properly,@ according to Commissioner Jonathan Healy of the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture. "The Consumer Labeling Initiative will make it easier than ever for consumers to understand the hazards of pesticides and how to use them appropriately.@

Gardeners are urged to read the labels on pesticides and other household products in order to:

• Prevent injury to themselves or family members;
• Protect the environment;
• Learn proper use of the product;
• Choose the right product;
• Buy the correct amount of pesticide;
• Learn how to store and dispose of the pesticide.

Participants in CLI include pesticide and cleaning product manufacturers, environmental and consumer groups, federal, state and local government agencies and consumers interested in labeling issues. The new labels are already visible on store shelves. And EPA is already pushing consumers nationwide to Read the Label FIRST.