I'm so obviously behind the curve on this that I'm embarrased to admit the truth: I had no idea that PVC (polyvinyl chloride, also known as vinyl) poses a health risk. And it might have been months or years before I realized how harmful it is throughout its life cycle, both for our health and the environment.

Despite countless informative articles and initiatives on the subject, it took a cartoon to shake some sense into me. I owe my embarrassingly belated awareness to what amounts to a witty public service announcement brought to us by the same team behind The Meatrix.

The cartoon, PVC: The Poison Plastic, goes like this: A private investigator is hot on the trail of an undercover menace to society. The menace is, of course, PVC. It's hard to spot it because it often blends in and resembles your average, non-toxic plastic. The giveaway, it turns out, is the number 3, which appears between brackets. If you see the 3, you've got trouble on the premises.

Ignorance might be bliss, but I'm not exactly blissed out now that I know that one of my favorite backpacks in high school was a health hazard. It was made of white PVC, and I liked it because it had a punk-rock quality that seemed a little edgy and dangerous. Turns out I was all too right.

After I watched the video, I ran around the house checking the underside of all things plastic. I didn't find any of the worrisome 3's, but I do have a lot of 2s, 4s and 5s.

Unfortunately, if you Google PVC and backpack, there are tons of hits. So it's probably a good idea to check around your house for those 3s too, especially with kids' toys and packs. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice has posted a comprehensive list of common household items.

Meanwhile, from here on out, I plan to scan any fashionable plastic items for the telltale 3. And hard as it may be, I'll steer clear of all dangerous fashion accessories, even if I covet them with all my heart. Edgy and risky is not as much fun, I've learned the hard way, when it actually is a risk.