Friday September
30, 2005
Stephan Kleiser - Staff Writer
The Tillsonburg News
Professor warns council
of pesticide dangers: Howard supports ban
A professor of Paediatrics and
Medicine has asked council to consider the dangers of
continuing the cosmetic use of pesticides.
John Howard, MD, told council
that while he doubts pesticides are solely
responsible for the alarming changes in human health
he has observed in the past 25 years, he is convinced
they are a contributing factor.
Howard, who teaches at the
University of Western Ontario and practices at the
Paediatric Division of London Health Sciences Centre,
told council he has seen an increasing number of
autistic children, increasing numbers of
immune-related diseases such as Crohn's disease,
colitis and irritable bowl syndrome.
And, while he would see about
two new kids 25 years ago, "now I see a new
child every week."
Howard said something is
happening in the world and while scientists can't say
with certainty that pesticides are to blame, there is
mounting evidence that pesticides are a problem.
He said the safety of
pesticides is based on animal testing but no one has
ever done any human tests because that's obviously
not possible.
"It will take another 20
years to know for sure if today's pesticides are
really safe. I would encourage you to ban the
cosmetic use of pesticides," Howard said.
"Not on any definite
evidence, but on the mounting evidence that there is
a problem."
He said the Canadian
Association of Physicians for the Environment is
significantly concerned about this issue,
"People didn't have these kinds of problems 20
years ago."
When Councillor Fred Lewis
pointed out that in fact the biggest health issues
facing North America these days is obesity, Howard
said what people eat is a personal choice whereas
pesticide use affects everyone and the environment.
He said people don't have a choice, they can't avoid
pesticides even if they themselves decide not to use
them, they are still exposed as long as others don't
follow suit.
When asked about how certain he
was, Howard said people no longer live in a world of
certainty.
"We used to have science
try to prove everything, now we learn that we can't
do that. The world is uncertain. There is uncertainty
about global warming and terrorism, but that doesn't
mean we wait until we have proof to do
something," he said.
"Perhaps it's time we deal
with that, we don't need to wait for proof, in fact
that would be wrong and it would be too late."
Councillor Brian Stephenson
said in his 30 years as an educator he too has seen a
lot more problems with kids.
"From asthma to attention
deficit disorder, I have been seeing a lot more of it
over the years," he said.
"I don't know if it's
pesticides, but it's something because it was getting
worse."
Howard agreed. "Something is causing it that's
for sure."
He said pesticides are
neurotoxins and studies have shown there is a
negative impact for people with higher exposure to
pesticides.
"Ask anyone if they have
seen these problems 30 years ago and the answer is
no."
Tillsonburg Mayor Stephen
Molnar thanked Howard for taking the time to speak to
council.
http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/story.php?id=187550
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