SCIENCE SHOULD DICTATE POLICIES ON URBAN PESTICIDE USE

摘要

Important public policy decisions should be based on sound science. Unfortunately, in the case of urban pesticide use, some provinces across Canada have chosen to ignore scientific evidence demonstrating the safety of pest control products. The result has been that many homeowners no longer have access to safe and effective weed, insect and disease control tools. Certain groups call for restrictions on the use of pesticides based on the precautionary principle, but what they fail to recognize is that the precautionary principle is the foundation for Canada's regulatory system. The primary objective of the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) is "...to prevent unacceptable risks to people and the environment from the use of pest control products."