The next time you’re offered a receipt, say “no thanks.”

The paper used for receipts really is bad for us – and we shouldn’t be touching it. 

That’s because receipt paper has the same hazardous chemical that has already been banned in baby bottles and sippy cups. The BPA used in that paper is especially dangerous because it rubs off easily and is absorbed through the skin. That same BPA has been linked to an increase in breast and prostate cancers and other serious health concerns.

Thermal paper is also used for other things like airline boarding passes, tickets for trains, movies, sporting events and amusement parks, labels on prescription bottles or packaged supermarket items such as deli meats and cheeses, fax paper, and lottery tickets. If you scratch the printed side of the paper and see a dark mark, it’s thermal paper. 

When possible, decline the receipt, especially at ATMs and gas stations. If you must handle them, wash your hands as soon as you can.