It's funny how things happen...

Just yesterday I posted about all the emails going around claiming different things and how you can go to Snopes.com to see if the claims are true or false. It was a reminder that we can't always believe everything we read on the internet. And it's funny how things happen because today I checked my email and turns out I got another one of these 'claim' emails. This one is about how women shouldn't drink from water bottles that have been left in vehicles because the heat causes toxins in the plastic container to seep into the water and causes cancer. It even said this is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. Well as you can imagine I went to Snopes.com and the site said that this claim is FALSE. Well, I guess I need to take my own advice because although I believe that Snopes is pretty accurate, it's important to note that they too don't always have all the facts.

Normally I'd see that the claim was false and I'd carry on and drink out of plastic water bottles. However, in this case there could be more to it. The last time the info was updated on the Snopes site was June of 2007. And why is this date important? Well, back in December of 2007 a news report came out saying that a sports retailer called Mountain Equipment Co-op had pulled a bunch of plastic water bottles (made of polycarbonate) off their shelves due to the potential health risks. The full article can be read in the Globe and Mail. The retailer had heard that independent research suggested that polycarbonate plastic is made mostly of bisphenol A which has been linked to illnesses, even though manufacturers of bisphenol A say the product is harmless. Health Canada is now doing a review of the contradicting evidence and hopes to have a report out by next year.

In the meantime, if you're concerned and don't want to drink out of plastic bottles made of polycarbonate, look on the bottom of the bottle and if you see a #7 or a #1 then toss it. Bottles with the numbers #2, #4 or #5 are still considered safe and are made of other types of plastics. A good site that gives further explanation of all this is the Labour Environmental Alliance Society. And if you're still concerned about drinking out of plastic bottles, then the best bet is to find a bottle made of stainless steel or glass.

It's scary and sad that is seems like so many things in life are being connected to illness, particularly cancer, so while there are many emails claiming causes of cancer, let's hope they're not all true. While Snopes isn't neccessarily wrong, it appears there's more research to be done. I don't know about you but I'm eagerly anticipating the outcome of this water bottle study.