A pair of New York politicians has introduced legislation that would force consumer goods corporation Procter & Gamble to make their Tide Pod product less appetizing to human beings.
State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, both Democrats, revealed their proposal at a joint press conference in New York’s capital city of Albany on Tuesday.
If passed, Senate bill S100A would require liquid detergent packets sold in the state of New York to be “designed in an opaque, uniform color that is not attractive to children and is not easily permeated by a child’s bite.”
The bill further states that each Tide Pod packet should be “enclosed in a separate, individual, non-permeable, child-resistant wrapper” and that the package they come in should have a warning label saying the product is “harmful if swallowed.”
And while S100A is being presented within a broader effort to protect kids, it’s clear the move was prompted by the “Tide Pod Challenge,” a recent social media trend that has young adults filming themselves deliberately ingesting the product.
In a letter the politicians sent to Procter & Gamble CEO David Taylor, Hoylman and Simotas refer to the “alarming social media stunt” as a “renewed opportunity” to tackle the “continuing problem” of people ingesting Tide Pods, accidental or otherwise.
On January 22, Taylor addressed the Tide Pod Challenge in a press release, stating:
“The possible life altering consequences of this act, seeking internet fame, can derail young people’s hopes and dreams and ultimately their health.”
Continuing, Taylor stated the obvious — that “even the most stringent standards and protocols, labels and warnings can’t prevent intentional abuse fueled by poor judgment and the desire for popularity.”
New York Assemblyman Joseph Errigo appeared to agree with Taylor, telling the NY Daily News that it’s not the job of manufacturers to protect people from themselves:
“There’s no easy way to spin it other than to say the people who are participating in this trend are old enough to know laundry detergent is not safe for consumption, and the people behind this legislation should know that it’s not the manufacturers who are to blame when people make stupid decisions with their products.”
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Stupid politicians trying to justify their miserable existence?
I would love to see Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders trying the Tide Pod Challenge. LOL
They should honestly not try and protect stupid people this much...seriously. I remember when NY tried to limit the sizes for fast food drinks...just, wow...
I can only think "What the ...".
Now I am thinking of the toilet cleaning gel I bought yesterday in Germany, wondering if bought in the US it should be noted in the description that drinking this causes health issues?
I live in Europe and, as far as I know, such laws do not exist here.
I try to understand the necessity of this as it is common sense in general to be aware of the consequences?
Lawmakers can pass all the laws they like, but laws don't fix stupidity.
It's pretty sad, we have to have laws for so many things. Fuck everyone. If they are too stupid to not know eating these things are harmful, let them learn a lesson.
To whom does this look an appealing snack. It is a lack of intelligence and an abundance of time, aka boredom.
It is absolutely mind boggling that we live in an era when politicians are debating how they can make laundry detergent less appealing to teens. FFS.. Was I the only one who at 16 was putting detergent into the wash rather than contemplating drinking it?? Those Downy balls had come out back then and let me tell you I never looked at one like it had the potential to be a good time! I know there's been an overall dumbing down in the public school system, but I mean.. eating detergent pods?! REALLY?! #TidePodsRNotTheNewGushers