Doctors Seek Tighter Regulation after Excessive Lead Detected in Toothpaste and Cosmetics

The Nepal Medical Association has called for stricter regulation and monitoring after excessive levels of lead were found in toothpaste and other daily-use cosmetic products.

Issuing a statement on Friday, the association’s General Secretary Dr Sanjiv Tiwari said harmful levels of lead were detected in toothpaste, oral hygiene products and various cosmetic items used daily by the public. The association urged the government to strengthen monitoring and quality control to protect public health.

The call follows a recent study published by the Centre for Public Health and Environmental Development (SAFED), which tested product samples collected from shops in several cities across the country. According to the study, 31 percent of the tested samples contained lead above internationally accepted safety standards, a finding the association described as alarming.

The study found lead contamination in 45 percent of toothpaste samples, as well as in some products marketed for children. The report flagged widespread contamination but did not disclose the names of the brands tested.

The association warned that such products pose serious health risks, particularly to children, and demanded immediate regulatory action.

Citing evidence from the World Health Organization and other international health bodies, the association noted that lead exposure is extremely harmful to human health. In children, it can impair intellectual development, cause learning difficulties and behavioural problems, and lead to long-term damage to vision, hearing and the nervous system.

The association urged the government to conduct quality testing of daily-use products and enforce strict regulation to safeguard public health. – With inputs from RSS