HYANNIS – The public is invited to a screening of Toxic Hot Seat, an HBO documentary that shines a light on hazardous substances in our every day lives.
The free screening followed by a panel discussion takes place Tuesday, April 21, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Barnstable Senior Center at 825 Falmouth Road in Hyannis.
The panel discussion immediately following the screening will include Laurel Schaider, research scientist with Silent Spring Institute, Sue Phelan, director of GreenCAPE and Hyannis Fire Department Deputy Chief Dean Melanson. The facilitator is Cheryl Osimo, executive director of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition and co-founder of Silent Spring Institute.
The film, which was directed by James Redford, the son of Robert Redford, brings to light the deadly consequences of well-intentioned safety regulations.
The film follows a group of firefighters and mothers, journalists and scientists, politicians and activists as they fight to expose the chemical industry’s role in backing flammability standards that require toxic flame retardant use in our homes.
According to a release about the film distributed by Sue Phelan of GreenCAPE, “Flame retardants are not effective at stopping fires and are putting our health at risk. Toxic flame retardants are known to be linked to severe health problems including birth defects and cancer.”
Phelan states that there is legislation pending in the Massachusetts legislature that would require manufacturers to phase out the use of toxic flame retardants in household furniture and children’s products. In 2014, Massachusetts updated its fire safety code for public buildings and meeting spaces allowing furniture to be manufactured and sold without the use of toxic flame retardants.
“With this new fire safety standard, we can look to safer ways of making furniture that are at least as effective at preventing fires as current toxic methods,” Phelan states.
Cancer prevention advocates are also on board with the effort to ban the chemicals.
“We need to phase out these toxic flame retardants to protect all of our health, and we especially owe it to our firefighters who are exposed to toxic chemicals at even greater levels that the rest of us,” said Cheryl Osimo, Executive Director Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition and Co Founder Silent Spring Institute. “Female firefighters have a six times greater risk of getting breast cancer than the average women in her 40s or 50s. This film is the kind of education we all need to make these health protective changes.”
The effort to phase out the chemicals goes beyond the commonwealth.
“There is a national push for the phase out of flame retardants. Collectively we can achieve this for Massachusetts and Cape Cod to protect our health and first responder’ health from these dangerous, pervasive, toxic chemicals,” said Phelan.
This film showing is made possible by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. The screening is sponsored by Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Clean Water Action, GreenCAPE, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, Silent Spring Institute.
