Last week EPA stopped the use of the pesticide lindane in agriculture, calling it "one of the most toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative pesticides ever registered." Yet FDA continues to allow lindane use in shampoos and lotions used on children. Lindane has been banned for use on pets and on seeds, why are we still allowing it on children's heads?

Pharmaceutical uses of lindane for lice and scabies have been banned in California since 2002, and legislation promoting similar bans is moving forward in Michigan and New York. All uses of lindane have already been banned in 52 countries, including most recently Mexico. Effective  alternatives to lindane are clearly available.

Lindane is an organochlorine insecticide and a known neurotoxin that can cause seizures, damage the nervous system, and weaken the immune system. Exposure may also cause cancer and disrupt hormone systems. Since lindane is highly persistent and travels globally via air and water, its use poses an exposure risk to people far from the source. Lindane is one of the most abundant pesticides in Arctic air and water, and indigenous people in the Arctic are faced with excessive exposure to lindane through their traditional diet.

FDA is stubbornly continuing to support lindane use. Tell FDA's Acting Commissioner that it is time his agency caught up with the rest of the world and banned this dangerous pesticide. The FDA must prioritize the health and safety of our children over and above the interests of corporations that profit from lindane sales in the U.S.