Continued sale of 'suicide cleaner' hit

An environmental group said some jewelry and watch stores in Metro Manila malls are still selling silver cleaning solutions despite a blanket ban on the poisonous substance.

The EcoWaste Coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol said they were able to purchase 30 unlabelled or unregistered silver cleaners in Grand Central Mall (five stores) and Victory Central Mall (four) in Caloocan City.

The same product was also found in Guadalupe Shopping Center in Makati City (two); Manila City Plaza in Quiapo, Manila (two); Starmall Alabang in Muntinlupa City (11); and Farmer’s Plaza (four) and SM North Edsa (two) in Quezon City.

“Despite the ban, silver jewelry cleaners are so easily available to anyone with the cash to buy them,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator for the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats)

The University of the Philippines-National Poison Management and Poison Control Center at the Philippine General Hospital and the East Avenue Medical Center Poison Control Unit considered silver jewelry cleaning agents as one of the top three toxicants among patients admitted in the past two years.

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