What is Proposition 65?
Proposition 65 is exclusive to the state of California, which is where JNH Lifestyles is based. The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, A.K.A. Prop 65, was enacted as a ballot initiative in November of 1986. This act protects California’s drinking water sources from becoming polluted with chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. It also requires businesses to disclose if they are consciously exposing consumers and/or their employees to any said chemicals. For the most up-to-date list of Prop 65 chemicals, please visit the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) website.
If you’re a Californian, then you’re more than familiar with the well-known warning that’s displayed on public businesses such as furniture stores, coffee shops, malls, grocery markets, hospitals, amusement parks and many other high-traffic destinations. Prop 65’s list of chemicals that can potentially cause cancer and birth defects is quite extensive, creating a requirement for a surplus of businesses to display a clear and reasonable warning to their customers should their products have any trace of a chemical on the list. It’s for this reason that Prop 65 has continuously been associated with criticism, both from consumers and business owners. Having to display such warnings on virtually everything and everywhere does not help the consumer make educated buying decisions and arguably creates fear.
This complicates the situation even further when you’re a California-based online retailer. Residents of other states shopping on the web will see these Prop 65 warnings and understandably misconstrue them. Regardless, JNH Lifestyles dutifully provides our customers with a Prop 65 warning on every product listing.
What Chemical Does JNH Lifestyles Disclose?
Our primary building materials are Hemlock and Red Cedar wood. The lumbar is cut and assembled overseas in our proprietary manufacturing facility. It’s then packaged and sent to our warehouse in Ontario, California. Naturally, between manufacturing, shipping, transportation and storage here at our warehouse, there’s going to be trace amounts of residual “Wood Dust”, which falls onto the Prop 65 list of chemicals that can potentially cause cancer. It’s for this reason that we are obligated to provide a Prop 65 notice.
WARNING: JNH Lifestyles products can expose you to chemicals including Wood Dust, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information, go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov
