Proper mask education is important, especially amidst the rise of counterfeit masks circulating the mask industry. Last February, the Department of Homeland Security identified 34 million 3M N95 counterfeit masks. Prior to that, the US Customs and Border Patrol Officers in Cincinnati seized more than 10 thousand counterfeit surgical masks that came in from China. The rise in counterfeit masks in the market puts consumers at risk for improper protection when consumers lack knowledge to properly identify counterfeit masks.

Senators have been bringing awareness to the rise in counterfeit masks at a legal level. This proactiveness resulted in a new bill being introduced, the Protecting Patients from Counterfeit Medical Devices Act. This act grants the Food and Drug Administration more control to eliminate counterfeit masks in circulation to prevent dangerous and faulty masks from being distributed to frontline medical workers.

The rise in counterfeit masks demonstrates the importance of mask education amongst individuals. Consumers can be easily misled, which results in inefficient protection for the mask wearer. Especially with the rise in COVID-19 cases among the holidays, it is important now more than ever to properly mask up and protect the safety of yourself and others.

With this rise in counterfeit masks increasing, we want to help you stay safe by providing 6 tips to help you identify that your surgical mask is real:

1. The mask has been approved by the FDA
2. The mask has a properly registered trademark
3. The mask is purchased from an authorized distributor
4. The mask is preferably made in the USA, since many overseas masks are not regulated
5. The mask material is sturdy and does not tear apart like tissue paper
6. The mask inside the box looks like the mask shown on the packaging

At Safe’N’Clear, we have spent time and resources into producing an FDA approved, ASTM Level 1 surgical grade clear face mask, The Communicator™. The Communicator™ is designed to provide clear communication for deaf and hard of hearing, while protecting mask wearers from the transfer of microorganisms, body fluids, and particulate materials through this single-use mask.

If you have recently purchased The Communicator™ from a non-authorized distributor and discovered that the product is not genuine, please report to the Better Business Bureau and send Safe‘N’Clear an email at [email protected] so we can be aware.