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Prop 65 Followed Me From California to Peru
When cancer warnings go viral
Author’s note: I’m not a medical professional and this article does not include medical advice. As an environmental analyst in California, my work involved the evaluation of public health risks from hazardous chemicals.
Who would have thought a cancer warning could provoke nostalgia? That was the case a few weeks ago when I bought an acoustic Fender guitar in Lima, Peru. Tied to a tuning peg was this card:
It’s interesting that no one bothered to remove the tag. The message doesn’t include a Spanish translation. And a music shop in Peru has no obligation to provide warnings about cancer-causing chemicals. After all, a bit of chemical residue is hardly a concern in a city with such major air pollution issues.
There are in Lima and tailpipe emissions are woefully unregulated. I sweep my floors every day, wiping up black powdery soot, and I worry about how much of that filth is passing through my lungs.
I don’t worry about my guitar giving me cancer.
