Skip to main content
Physicians should be aware and inform patients that use of boric acid-containing products in children's crafts and homemade pesticides has been previously cautioned by Health Canada.
In 2016 Health Canada listed a specific advisory cautioning Canadians against the use of boric acid in homemade crafts and pesticides, especially for children and pregnant women following a draft risk assessment which found that overexposure to boric acid has the potential to cause developmental and reproductive health effects.
This full advisory is available at: https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2016/59514...
Further information from Health Canada regarding borax (boric acid, its salts and precursors) is available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemicals-product-safety...
Health Canada lists a variety of other products to avoid in children's arts and crafts supplies, these include: paint (not clearly labelled as safe for kids, powdered clays and paint, ceramic glazes, copper enamel, solder for stained glass, shellac
paint strippers, craft dyes, and boric acid.
A full list and further information on using arts and crafts materials safely is available from Health Canada at: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/home-garden-safety/use-a...