Last December I blogged about how the Canadian Cancer Society was calling on the BC Government to ban the sale and use of cosmetic pesticides.
Now, six months later, I have some good news and some bad news.
Bad news first: despite a public consultation process and a groundswell of public support, the government has yet to legislate a ban in BC. I wonder, are we waiting to have the distinction of being the very last province in Canada to enact this legislation?
While disappointing, to say the least, the government’s reluctance to act won’t stop us from continuing to call for action.
And the good news is that a number of medical and health organizations in BC are standing behind our efforts – here’s a list of organizations that have recently joined the Canadian Cancer Society in urging the government to ban the sale and use of cosmetic pesticides:
- The Public Health Association of BC
- UBC Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
- The BC Lung Association
- The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
- Inspire Health: Integrated Cancer Care
- The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region
- Canadian Cancer Society Chair in Cancer Primary Prevention
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, Western Region
All these organizations have at least one thing in common – the desire to protect the health of British Columbians. There is strength in numbers – and on this issue of banning cosmetic pesticides, we are getting stronger!