Shower Curtains Declared Harmless

Business Wire, June 12, 2008

Pressure Group Report Attempts to Manipulate Fears But Cites No Evidence of Harm, Vinyl Institute Says

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Decades of research and use prove that shower curtains made of vinyl are safe, effective and deserve their popularity, the Vinyl Institute said this morning.

The Institute responded to a report released today that attempts to manipulate retailer and public fears over this simple, popular and trusted household item.

The report lists substances in vinyl shower curtains. To a doctor or scientist, the report shows that vinyl shower curtains are not much different from other familiar consumer goods. Even foods can contain some of the chemicals listed in the report.

To a consumer or retailer, however, the report is carefully written to provoke anxiety over whether shower curtains are harmful - without citing any evidence of actual harm.

Greg Bocchi, president of the Vinyl Institute, said, "Shower curtains are not harmful. This report is simple scare-mongering. It is a blatant attempt by a well-known pressure group to manipulate consumers and retailers into thinking that shower curtains pose a danger, when they don't. It offers no evidence of actual harm."

Vinyl shower curtains are tough, easy to clean, and can be colored and patterned in endless ways, which have made them popular bathroom accessories for decades. Vinyl products are made from a polymer, polyvinyl chloride -- an odorless powder -- to which ingredients are added that will give the desired end-product properties. The process is a bit like making pasta or baked goods, starting with flour, adding other ingredients, and heating and molding the mix. Vinyl is the material of choice for such important products as flexible blood bags and medical tubing, rigid pipe for drinking water and sewage removal, protective insulation on electrical wire, and tamper-resistant packaging, among others.

New shower curtain smells come from the ingredients added to make the product, but, as with many products that have initial odors, they soon fade away. People with sensitivities to new product smells usually find that airing a shower curtain out for a few days will eliminate the problem.

"People trust and like to use vinyl," Bocchi said. "We want them to know they can continue to have confidence in these products, which have an outstanding safety record.

"We hope this report isn't taken seriously. The vinyl industry, like others, stands by the safety of our products, and, at the same time, the industry is constantly developing new product formulations that accommodate changing consumers' needs and desires."

The Vinyl Institute represents the nation's leading manufacturers involved in the production of vinyl plastic.