Michigan legislators move to protect children from lindane (Press release 05-16-08)
Morton Grove drops lindane lawsuit against Ecology Center (PANUPS, 03-13-08)
FDA Warning Letter to Morton Grove (12-2007)
"Outcomes of the California Ban on Pharmaceutical Lindane: Clinical and
Ecologic Impacts," Environmental Health Perspectives" (12-20-2007)
PAN Alert: Tell FDA Lindane has got to go!
The pesticide lindane has been banned in more than 50 countries, including most recently Chile and Mexico. Exposure to this neurotoxic organochlorine has been linked to seizures, developmental disabilities and hormone disruption. It is known to be particularly hazardous to children. The persistent chemical shows up more often than any other pesticide in the Arctic environment, contaminating traditional foods of indigenous communities in the region.
In August 2006, EPA withdrew lindane from all agricultural uses in the United States, and U.S. veterinary uses were canceled in the late 1990s. Governments around the world are now moving to add lindane to the list of chemicals targeted for a global ban under the Stockholm Convention.
Despite lindane’s known dangers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to approve its use as an ingredient in shampoos and skin lotions marketed to control lice and scabies. California banned these pharmaceutical uses of lindane in 2001, and similar legislation is moving forward in Michigan and New York.
Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals, the major distributor of lindane products in the U.S., continues to aggressively promote the use of lindane products. The company has actively lobbied against restrictive legislation in Michigan and New York, and filed lawsuits against the Michigan Ecology Center and the National Pediculosis Association for distributing information about lindane's health effects. In late 2007, FDA issued a stern letter to Morton Grove, warning the company to stop its misleading advertising.
