There is a silent killer in Canada, one that the government could slow down or stop altogether: toxic chemicals. Air pollution, alone, kills 7000 people a year not to mention the health effects of the thousands of chemicals in everything from the beds we sleep on to the water bottles we bring to the gym.
The toxic burden lands firmly on the shoulders of the most vulnerable: poorer communities, including many Indigenous communities, are often the ones who have to live closest to the highest levels of pollution. Not only that but infants ingest a huge toxic load from the breast milk of their mothers.
There is no excuse for this!
Canada still lags behind most developed nations in terms of regulation. Currently, Canada's standards are well below that of the European Union, who have taken toxic chemicals seriously.
Right now, Canada faces a great opportunity to change the regulation of toxic chemicals as it revises the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). A recent committee report makes recommendations for harsher punishments for polluters, stronger regulations on polluters and better management of what toxins are in everyday products in Canada.
Sign today to tell Canada to say NO to toxic chemicals and update CEPA. Polluters should have to pay and Canadians deserve to be safe from the hidden dangers of environmental toxins.
