As the fall baking and cooking season gets underway and the holidays approach, state lawmakers have served up a dish that could drive New Yorkers away from a safe and widely practiced cooking method.
If signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the so-called “Healthy Homes Right to Know Act” will require all gas stoves sold in New York to feature a label — both on the appliance itself and its package — warning consumers that they could generate “potentially unsafe levels” of pollutants that may contribute to respiratory illnesses.
The problem with this label is that its claims are unproven and misleading. The body of peer-reviewed, scientific studies does not support a causal link between gas stove use and health issues. Moreover, cooking-related
emissions, which are generated through use of both electric and gas stoves, can be effectively addressed through proper ventilation.
So why make a claim that science doesn’t support? State legislators may have been motivated by their counterparts in California and Colorado, where similar measures were passed and subsequently halted, respectively, by the governor and the courts.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom rightly recognized that the approach failed to take into consideration the need to keep consumers updated on the latest scientific developments and vetoed the legislation. Meanwhile, in Colorado, a court last year halted enforcement of a warning label measure due to concerns that it was not supported by science and thus violated retailers’ and manufacturers’ First Amendment rights.
New York can educate stove consumers, not scare them
Fortunately, there is a better approach that can help all New Yorkers, regardless of whether they choose gas or electric cooking.
Instead of a warning label, New Yorkers and their families would benefit from education about how to properly ventilate their kitchens, regardless of their preferred cooking method. Whether it is with a ventilation hood, exhaust fan, or other method, ventilation is the best way to manage the fumes and emissions that are released during the cooking process.
A misleading warning label is unfair to both retailers, who are trying to guide customers to the best options, and to shoppers, who deserve complete, accurate information about a major purchase. With trust in government already on shaky ground, there is no benefit to spreading unproven claims that drive New York’s consumers away from gas cooking, which is used in more than 60 percent of homes across the state and favored by many home cooks.
If the goal — which appliance manufacturers share — is truly to protect the health and welfare of New York families while preserving consumer choice and reliability, then gas stove warning labels are the wrong approach. Instead, let’s work together to educate New York’s consumers about proper ventilation. It is a bipartisan issue, supported by science, and truly has the potential to benefit every New York home.
Warning labels have failed in California and Colorado. Now, it’s time for Hochul to honor the trust New York residents have placed in her and veto the Healthy Homes Right to Know Act. New Yorkers deserve information grounded in facts, not fear.
Kelly Mariotti is president and CEO of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY doesn't need gas stoves to be sold with warning labels | Opinion
