Lowe’s: Stop selling deadly paint strippers
No one should lose a loved one to deadly chemicals. But right now you can walk into Lowe’s and other stores and buy paint strippers containing highly toxic chemicals. Read one family’s story below then sign the petition to Lowe’s.
"Our son Drew garnered attention with his quick wit, booming voice and incredible smile. When he loved something, he put his full heart into it and did so with focus. His establishment of a coffee business from the ground up with a friend is a perfect example. Drew loved every second of refining his craft and building his business. In October 2017, the lives of family and friends who knew and loved Drew took a dramatic turn.
In a trip to Lowe’s to buy some paint stripper to re-finish a floor in his coffee plant, Drew purchased the chemical that killed him. The next day, he was found collapsed on the floor. The coroner’s autopsy report found that toxic methylene chloride fumes from the paint stripper were to blame.
To this day, you can walk into Lowe’s and buy the same product that killed Drew—plus numerous others containing the same chemical. [Cindy and Hal Wynne]"
Will you stand with Drew’s family? Tell Lowe’s to stop selling deadly paint strippers!
Many other families have learned about methylene chloride’s effects the same way that the Wynne family did. According to reports from OSHA and other sources, paint strippers containing methylene chloride have been linked to more than 50 deaths across the country since 1980. Long-term exposure to this chemical has been linked to liver toxicity, liver cancer, and lung cancer.
In January 2017, the EPA proposed banning methylene chloride and another chemical called NMP in paint strippers. But in December the Trump administration backed off under pressure from the chemical industry. In Europe methylene chloride was banned from paint strippers in 2012. The EU is also considering banning NMP, which puts women of childbearing age at risk of harm to their fetuses.
It’s hard to believe that Lowe’s is still selling these products even though there are safer alternatives.