Raffi Calls On Health Minister to Protect Children’s Health

“The young of all species – from baby belugas to ducklings and little children are vulnerable to the minutest doses of some of the toxic chemicals allowed in Canada,” said Raffi. “We at the Troubadour Institute for Child Honouring support World Wildlife Fund Canada’s position in calling for a modern law to replace the dangerously outdated legislation and reduce reliance on pesticides. Let’s not delay any longer. If children had a say, this would have been done by now.”

Essentially unchanged since it was passed in 1969, the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) permits chemicals that have since been banned by many other countries. The flaws in the PCPA have been detailed during the past ten years by the Auditor General, the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development and two multi-stakeholder committees. Former Health Minister Allan Rock promised to table a new pesticides bill last fall, recognizing that “we don’t have a comprehensive, co-ordinated strategy on pesticides.” Minister McLellan has yet to make public her position on this important matter.

“The last budget assured the necessary funding to reform the Act that regulates pesticides,” commented WWF-Canada’s Julia Langer. “The scientific proof against these pesticides has been mounting for decades, as has the concern of medical, farm and industry organizations – not to mention parents and citizens from coast to coast. We can’t let the cabinet shuffle take this legislation off the table.”

At least 40 pesticides are known to interfere with hormones that are responsible for the development of reproductive organs, the brain and the immune system of humans.

Children are particularly vulnerable. Compared to adults, they eat three to four times more food per body weight, consume fruit and juices made from highly-sprayed crops, and play on lawns and floors which can harbour pesticide residues. Effective and safe alternatives already exist for farmers, municipalities, school boards and gardeners.

Underlining the need to rid Canada of these poisons, the children’s champion sang his song “Naturally,” in praise of toxic-free farming.