I had occasion recently to dismantle some old Zip disks and handle what was inside (i.e. the medium where the data was written). My hands felt a little weird after, so I’d like to ask what’s probably a stupid question: what it unwise to do so? Were any of the materials or chemicals used in the creation process cancer-causing or blindness-inducing or whatever?
Please humor me. 
Thanks!
AFAIK Zip disks were pretty much plain polyester/magnetic discs, pretty much the same stuff floppies were made of.
Only in California … 
I don’t get it.
California has some rather silly laws. You’ll find stickers on many products that end up saying things like “Warning! This product contains nickel which has been found to cause cancer in California” (found on a Dremel tool). These labels are found on everything from tools to dandruff shampoo to marijuana (I’m not kidding about that last one, either).
The labels are so silly that everyone pretty much just ignores them. They have also become the butt of many jokes (causes cancer in California? Good thing I live in Virginia!), which is how people like me who don’t live anywhere near California have heard about them.
Yeah, my hair dryer causes cancer in California. One assumes it’s perfectly safe in South Carolina.
Back to the OP …
The surface of the media in floppy disks contains a lubricant. Zip disks are probably the same. Some of that could have transferred onto your paws.
In what way did your hands feel “weird”?
I don’t remember exactly. Kind of heavy, maybe? Like I said, it might be unrelated/imagination.
And thanks for the explanation of the joke. I remember that now.