The uproar following Sean Penn’s decision to light up at a news conference in Toronto reiterated an obvious point — the government is tough on smokers because smoking is a widely known health hazard.
But what about all the dangerous chemicals that attract less public attention, yet are just as widespread as those found in cigarettes?
While Canada is cracking down on smoking, it lags far behind other countries in regulating toxic chemicals found in consumer products.
The government is, however, showing an attempt to catch up. Two weeks ago, federal scientists announced a list of 23,000 potentially harmful chemicals being used in Canada.
The chemicals were categorized by their toxicity, a task that took seven years to complete; 4,000 of the chemicals were considered a risk to human health and in need of further safety assessments.
While this categorization of toxic chemicals — which has not yet been released to the public — should be applauded, it’s too soon to start congratulating the government on their catch-up efforts. For too long, companies in Canada have been allowed to use harmful chemicals without having to take responsibility for the safety of their products.
What’s needed now is a continued plan of action, one that starts by immediately banning the “worst offenders” on the chemical list.
To implement an effective action plan, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) needs strengthening. The act aims to protect Canadians from pollution, including toxic chemicals. But according to Fe de Leon, a researcher at the Canadian Environmental Law Association, CEPA largely relies on a non-regulatory, or voluntary, approach, which puts minimal pressure on companies to prove the safety of the chemicals they use. The law also focuses more on toxic emissions than harmful chemicals in consumer products.
While CEPA is lacking, the act has proven it can bring attention to toxic chemicals. In July, Environment Canada announced that two substances, used in flame retardants and stain repellants, would be added to Canada’s list of toxics and subjected to regulatory action.
Health Canada declared that, starting in November, companies will be required to list all ingredients used in personal care products.
These steps, however, are pathetic compared to proposed legislation in the European Union. If passed at the end of this year, the new EU law will require companies to perform safety tests on all the chemicals they use and provide alternatives when chemicals are proven dangerous.
Canada’s in-depth categorization of toxic chemicals shows there is a problem that needs immediate attention. But if public awareness of the issue doesn’t increase, it is unlikely the government will dedicate as much effort to regulating toxic chemicals as it has to banning smoking in public places.
If the government continues to let industries do as they wish, the categorized list of toxic chemicals will be more than a waste of money — it will be a wasted chance to protect the health of all Canadians.