Safe use of chemicals and risk communication among dentists and dental students in Greece

Children and Parents' Awareness Regarding Potential Hazards Derived from the Use of Chemical Products in Greece

Over the last decades, human activities prompted the high production and widespread use of household chemical products, leading to daily exposure of humans to several chemicals. The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency of chemicals' use by children and parents in Greece and estimate the level of risk awareness and understanding among them. A total of 575 parents and children were asked to answer an anonymous, closed-ended, validated, and self-administered questionnaire. One-third of the children and almost half of the parents participating in the study believed that commonly used chemical products do not pose any risk to human health or to the environment, despite the product labelling. The majority of both children (61.8%) and parents (70.6%) were informed about product safety via the product labelling. Around 20% in both groups could not differentiate between systemic toxicity and acute lethal effects depicted by pictograms on the label and milder hazards, such as skin irritation. Moreover, the information on hazard and precautionary statements appearing on the label was very poorly perceived. Therefore, as both children and parents seem not to clearly identify the hazards and risks arising from the use of everyday chemical products, targeted awareness policies should be implemented to support the safe use of household products.

Updating the European Union's regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP): A key opportunity for consumers, workers and stakeholders with interests in the legislation and toxicology of hazardous chemicals

Recent advancements in toxicology and the European Union's Green Deal, with its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, have paved the way for major changes in EU legislation on the control of environmental chemicals for a cleaner and safer environment. Another substantial legislative advancement underway is the update of the "Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP)," an ambitious piece of EU legislation with exceptional scientific toxicological background in identifying a hazard, aiming at better protecting its citizens and the environment from the risk of chemical substances and products, the occupational settings included. Update of CLP legislation additionally aims at facilitating the free exchange of chemicals in the European Internal Market, provided that proper labelling and packaging processes are implemented. Participation in the ongoing online public consultation on these issues, ending on November 15, 2021, is of key relevance to ensure a transparent and effective definition of such an important piece of legislation, fully compliant with current EU priorities in terms of human and environmental protection and animal welfare.