How do we prevent people from eating Tide Pods? Their vibrant packaging needs to be changed, New York lawmakers say, in order to make the product look less appetizing.
Vice reports State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assembly Member Aravella Simotas introduced legislation to forbid detergent companies from using colorful packaging which would appeal to children and instead use uniform and bland packaging. The bill also said the product should include a clear hazardous label, similar to other household cleaning products, as well as child-resistant packaging.
"We want to make sure these poisonings are prevented," Simontas explained at a news conference on Tuesday at the Capitol, USA Today reports. "It’s easy. All we have to make sure is that public safety trumps their profits."
Will it actually be that easy? After teens nearly broke the internet with the uptrend of the Tide Pod challenge in January, the detergent company itself released statements instructing people not to ingest the product. Additionally, YouTube and Facebook have been monitoring and removing content related to the challenge. However, those corporative efforts have proven to be ineffective, since the laundry pods continue to soar off store shelves everywhere.
Although the challenge has only been geared towards products manufactured by Tide, the legislation, if passed, would be enacted towards all detergent companies.
"Finally, consumers have a choice: Those who prefer single colored packs can use Tide Free and Gentle, which is all-white. Tide is also available in a liquid and powder product form," Tide's Cincinnati-based parent company, Procter & Gamble, explained in a statement, according to USA Today.
What will it take to get you to stop eating Tide Pods already?
