Recently, cadmium was discovered in costume jewelry sold in Ardene and Aldo. Cadmium is a heavy metal that is toxic in very small amounts and is carcinogenic. Cadmium poisoning can also lead to kidney failure, respiratory problems and bone degeneration.
Canada has a ban cadmium in children's jewelry, however considering costume jewelry in stores such as Ardene and Aldo are often marketed to children, this is not good enough. The European Commission has banned cadmium in all jewelry in Europe because of the extremely detrimental health effects. Canada must follow suit to protect their citizens from this dangerous metal.
By signing today you are standing for the health of all Canadians, particularly children who are most vulnerable.
We support a full ban on cadmium in all jewelry sold in Canada. Recently, costume jewelry containing cadmium was found at both Ardene and Aldo stores in Canada. This is unacceptable and we demand that the jewelry not only be taken off the shelf in these stores, but that cadmium be banned for all jewelry.
We acknowledge that cadmium is a health risk for all Canadians, especially costume jewelry that is often marketed to children. This poses an increased risk of ingestion for vulnerable children. The European Commission has banned cadmium in all jewelry since 2011 and we call upon you to follow suit to protect the health of all Canadians.
