The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is mulling a ban on gas stoves, citing a report that says pollutants from the stoves have been linked to asthma and worsening respiratory conditions.
The December 2022 study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found the use of indoor gas stoves was linked to 13 percent of asthma cases in children.
In the United States, 35 percent of households use a gas stove; but that number doubles in states like New Jersey and California.
CPSC commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. told Bloomberg in an interview that gas stove usage is a “hidden hazard,” adding that “any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”
The agency emphasized, however, that no immediate action is being take. In a statement released to USA Today, the agency said, “CPSC has not proposed any regulatory action on gas stoves at this time. Any regulatory action by the Commission would involve a lengthy process.
“Agency staff plans to start gathering data and perspectives from the public on potential hazards associated with gas stoves, and proposed solutions to those hazards later this year. Commission staff also continues to work with voluntary standards organizations to examine gas stove emissions and address potential hazards.”
Such a ban would only apply to new products, Trumka said.
