Protect Canadians' Health: Ban BPA!
- by: Environmental Defence
- recipient: The Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment and the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a harmful chemical found in many products we use every day, including the linings of food and drink cans, cash register receipts, and reusable sports bottles made from hard plastic.
More than 150 peer-reviewed scientific studies have found potential health effects from exposure to BPA, which include breast and prostate cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a wide range of developmental problems.
In 2007, BPA was banned in baby bottles sold in Canada -- the first ban on BPA in the world. Now we need to extend the ban on BPA to all food and beverage containers and to other common sources.
Tell the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health that Canada needs to continue its leadership on protecting our health from BPA by extending the ban to food and beverage containers.
To the Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment and the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health:
I am writing to you today about the recent Canada Health Measures Survey that found bisphenol A (BPA) in 91% of Canadians.
While I applaud the government's decision to get rid of bisphenol A in baby bottles, I'm concerned that children and adults are still being exposed to this harmful chemical. International organizations, expert panels and more than 150 peer-reviewed studies have associated bisphenol A with a variety of health problems -- obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer and a wide range of developmental problems -- often at low levels of exposure.
I urge you to show the world, once again, that Canada is a leader when it comes to protecting our children's health from harmful chemicals: develop full-fledged regulatory measures that will get rid of bisphenol A from all food and beverage containers and from other sources, such as cash register receipts.
Thank you.
