The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that it accepted a $10,000 civil penalty settlement from Great Lakes Products Inc. (Great Lakes) of Indianapolis, Ind. CPSC claims that Great Lakes illegally exported a banned hazardous substance known as volatile alkyl nitrite, in violation of the Consumer Product Safety Act.
Volatile alkyl nitrite is commonly used as a sexual stimulant because it reportedly produces a euphoric effect on the body when inhaled. Although the liquid (marketed as "Rush," "Hardware," "Quicksilver," "Bolt," and "Ram") is legal in many countries, its sale in the United States was banned in 1990. In addition, it is illegal for a U.S. company to export a banned hazardous substance without complying with the export notification rules of the Consumer Product Safety Act, which requires a company to notify CPSC before exporting a banned hazardous substance.
Great Lakes voluntarily brought this matter to the attention of CPSC and further denies CPSC's claim that the company knowingly violated the export provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Act.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
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