fff >From: HHask@... >To: Mamemoms@... >Subject: Canadians move to ban pesticides >Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 12:02:21 EDT > > > > Pesticides too harmful to use in any form, doctors warn > > > > By ALANNA MITCHELL > > > > UPDATED AT 5:26 PM EDT Saturday, Apr. 24, 2004 > > > > The link between common household pesticides and fetal defects, neurological > > damage and the most deadly cancers is strong enough that family doctors in > > Ontario are urging citizens to avoid the chemicals in any form. > > > > The frightening message came yesterday when the Ontario College of Family > > Physicians released the most comprehensive study ever done in Canada on the > > chronic effects of pesticide exposure at home, in the garden and at work. > > > > "The review found consistent evidence of the health risks to patients with > > exposure to pesticides," the study said, naming brain cancer, prostate cancer, > > kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and leukemia among many other acute > > illnesses. > > > > As well, the college found consistent links between parents' exposure to > > certain agricultural pesticides at their jobs and effects on a growing fetus > > ranging from damage to death. The risks, they concluded, can come even from > > residue on food, ant spray and the tick collar on the family cat. > > > > The researchers also found that children are far more vulnerable to the > > effects of pesticides than adults because their bodies are growing, they have a > > greater skin surface in proportion to their size than adults, they ingest more > > food for their size than adults and they often have less-developed systems > > to excrete chemicals. > > > > Not only that, but after examining 12,000 studies conducted from 1990 to > > 2003 around the world, and winnowing that down to the most sound 250, the > > researchers said there is no evidence that some pesticides are less dangerous than > > others, just that they have different effects on health that take different > > periods to show up. > > > > They said they are preparing brochures for patients and education material > > for family doctors to fill them in on the findings. > > > > However, Lorne Hepworth, president of CropLife Canada, a trade association > > representing the large multinational companies that manufacture pesticides, > > said he questioned whether the college, a voluntary, not-for-profit assoc > > iation, really had the public's interest at heart in releasing the data: > > > > "Pesticides used properly constitute no unacceptable risk to people's health > > or to the environment." > > > > He added that pesticides are highly regulated in Canada by federal health > > staff and must go through a raft of tests, including some on animals to see if > > the products cause cancer, before they are approved for use. > > > > Not only that, but the federal laws governing pesticides were tightened two > > years ago to make them protect children better and match more closely the > > tougher standards in the United States and in other countries, he said. > > > > He pointed out that other studies have shown that pesticide use also > > provides a safe and abundant source of fruits and vegetables in Canada, and that > > consuming these can cut cancer risks. > > > > Chris Krepski, a spokesman for the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, an arm > > of Health Canada, added that a pesticide cannot be registered for use in > > Canada if it has the potential to cause birth defects. > > > > "As long as they are used according to the label directions, they can be > > used safely," he said. > > > > The massive scientific literature review comes as many cities across Canada > > are trying to ban the use of pesticides to make gardens and lawns pest-free > > and as efforts increase to get rid of mosquito larvae before West Nile season. > > > > > > Toronto's law came into effect this month complete with posters showing a > > dandelion and the caption: "Relax. It's just a weed." > > > > Quebec has already banned the most common lawn and garden pesticides across > > the province starting next year. > > > > The Canadian Cancer Society, the Learning Disabilities Association of > > Canada, the Registered Nurses Association of Canada and the Ontario Public Health > > Association have called for the bans as well. > > > > Cathy Vakil, of the Family Medicine Centre at Queen's University in Kingston > > and one of the authors of the report, noted that alternatives to pesticides > > are available in most cases and should be considered because the negative > > effects of some chemicals can be passed down through generations. > > > > "People need to think long and hard if they want to take that risk for > > themselves, their children and their grandchildren for the sake of a golf-green > > lawn," she said. > > > > She also noted that the pesticides used in Toronto's 200,000 storm sewers to > > kill mosquito larvae emit a product as they break down that is a retinoid, a > > family of chemicals known to cause limb deformities in fetuses. > > > > That chemical then washes into Lake Ontario and in turn into the drinking > > water of the Greater Toronto Area. > > > > However, Lorraine Van Haastrecht, spokeswoman for a lobby group representing > > companies that treat 100,000 lawns in Toronto, said Canada needs "healthy > > green spaces." > > > > And Gavin Dawson, technical manager of Greenspace Services, the largest > > company in Canada to treat lawns, said that while his company offers > > pesticide-free service, only about 10 per cent of customers want that. The rest want > > pesticides.