California legislature advances bill to require warning labels on gas stoves

The California Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee advanced a bill Tuesday that will require gas stoves sold in California come with a warning label on the health risks associated with the appliance. AB 2513, by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, will give consumers critical information to make educated purchasing decisions for their family.  

Why do gas stoves need a warning label 

More than four decades of research shows that gas stoves produce dangerous air pollution indoors. That’s led to the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, and Physicians for Social Responsibility speaking out about the hazards.

Gas stoves emit harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, formaldehyde, and benzene. Just running a stove for mere minutes with poor ventilation can lead to indoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide  that exceed the EPA’s air quality standard for outdoors. Breathing these pollutants can exacerbate preexisting respiratory illnesses and increase the risk of developing leukemia and asthma, especially in children. In fact, a recent Stanford study found that gas stoves can emit carcinogenic benzene levels above those found in secondhand smoke.

Despite the growing body of research on gas stove pollution, the risk has largely been hidden from the public.  Consumers deserve the truth when it comes to the danger of cooking with gas. 

That’s where AB 2513 comes in. The legislation will require stoves sold in California to come with a warning label describing the pollutants emitted and their potential health impacts, and advising that proper ventilation can help reduce the risks of breathing in harmful gasses. The legislation doesn’t restrict the sale of gas stoves, but educates consumers so they can make informed purchasing decisions. 

Scientists, doctors testify in support of gas stove labels 

During Tuesday’s Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, Stanford scientist Dr. Rob Jackson and neurologist Dr. Bret Andrews with Physicians for Social Responsibility testified in support of the gas stove labeling legislation. 

Dr. Jackson’s lab has spent decades measuring greenhouse gas emissions from homes and buildings, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and benzene. He told the committee that the pollution measured from gas and propane sometimes leads to dangerous concentrations for hours—”not just in kitchens but in bedrooms down the hall where our children sleep.”

Dr. Bret Andrews added that these pollutants are associated with increased health risks, especially for children, noting that “exposure to increased levels of NO2 are associated with increased asthma, decreased lung development, chronic lung diseases, poor birth outcomes including low birth weight and premature births, decreased brain function and dementia, heart disease, stroke and premature death.” He shared that the concerns around gas stove pollution are shared by many health professionals, including sixty medical professionals that sent in a letter of support for the bill. 

Consumers need more information on gas stove pollution 

Currently, consumers cannot count on home improvement and appliance store staff to reliably provide them with this information. In February 2024, U.S. PIRG Education Fund released the results of a consumer survey that found major retailers were largely failing to warn potential customers of gas stove health concerns – and safety measures that could protect their health. In a survey conducted across 11 states, store workers told three-quarters of survey takers that gas stove pollution was not a concern, and told eight in 10 customers that they did not need ventilation to protect their health. 

A national survey published in 2023 by Data for Progress found that consumer preferences changed, especially among current gas stove users, when informed of the health risks associated with gas stove emissions. Overall, consumer preference for gas stoves dropped from 36% to 27%. Among current gas stove owners, the shift was more dramatic, from 60% indicating they would purchase a gas stove again, down to 46%.

This data underscores why the California Legislature should pass AB 2513 to require warning labels on gas stoves. Properly informed consumers will protect their families’ health — whether by avoiding gas stoves or using proper ventilation. Gas stove warning labels are a simple step that California can take to empower families to protect their health.