For Immediate Release: August 13, 2015

Contact: Alex Formuzis, EWG Action Fund: 202.667.6982

Washington, D.C. — Parents and caregivers should not have to worry whether the crayons at their favorite family restaurants contain asbestos, the EWG Action Fund and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization said today in a letter to National Restaurant Association.

In their letter to Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, Alex Formuzis, vice president for strategic campaigns at EWG Action Fund and Linda Reinstein, president and chief executive officer of ADAO, wrote:

Crayons are a common element of the family dining experience, with many restaurants providing crayons and coloring paper to entertain children before and during the meal. EWG Action Fund and ADAO urge the National Restaurant Association to encourage its members to pledge to use only asbestos-free crayons. The asbestos-free crayon pledge will allow families to enjoy their meal with peace of mind that the crayons at the table do not pose a risk to their children.

The call for restaurants to take the asbestos-free crayon pledge comes on the heels of EWG Action Fund-commissioned tests that found asbestos in some brands of crayons.

Tests by an independent government-certified laboratory found asbestos, a known carcinogen, in several brands of children’s crayons, including Amscan and some sold under the names of popular children’s characters, including Mickey Mouse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers. The presence of asbestos in crayons is most likely due to asbestos-contaminated talc, which is used as a binding agent in many crayons. According to the package labels, all the crayons that contained asbestos were manufactured in China and imported to the U.S.

EWG Action Fund did not obtain any of the crayons that tested positive for asbestos at restaurants. However, many nationwide restaurant chains hand out free crayons and drawing paper to children who dine with their families.

“A family outing to their favorite restaurant should be a fun experience where youngsters and their parents can enjoy themselves without being unwittingly exposed to asbestos,” Reinstein said in a separate statement.

“We hope those restaurants that provide crayons to their youngest patrons take the pledge and hand out only items certain not to contain this dangerous carcinogen,” Formuzis said.

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 EWG Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that is a separate sister organization of the Environmental Working Group. The mission of EWG Action Fund is to protect health and the environment by educating the public and lobbying on a wide range of environmental issues. Donations to EWG Action Fund are not tax-deductible.