New York to ban pesticide lindane for lice and scabies

Date:10-13-2009

Bill A008628 filed in the state of New York proposes to amend the public health law to ban the sale, use, and prescription of any product containing the substance commonly known aslindane, used for the treatment of lice or scabies in humans, from containing the pesticide.

The provision states, "Lindane is the working ingredient in over 2 million prescriptions for shampoos and creams meant to control head lice and scabies and that these prescriptions are issued to children, pregnant women and young mothers." Lindane has been shown to damage the liver, kidney, nervous and immune systems of laboratory animals. It adds that there are more effective and less toxic ways available for the control of head lice.

Also included is reference to lindane as a man made pesticide that has been categorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic pollutant, meaning that it lingers for a long period in the environment, moves up the food chain and is highly toxic to humans and wildlife. If finds that the main source of lindane in sewers is from treatment of head lice and scabies and that a single treatment of lindane pollutes 6 million gallons of water.

The bill reports lindane as a carcinogen, one that can cause seizures or even death when absorbed through the skin. In the past few years, over 500 cases of adverse impacts from lindane-containing products have been reported.

Los Angeles County Sanitation District (LACSD)and the The National Pediculosis Association (NPA) received an EPA grant to join forces to educate the community about the hazards of lindane. The project was so successful that the Sanitation District of Los Angeles County, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, and the National Pediculosis Association were given the nations most honored pollution prevention award.