A new organization Victimes des pesticides du Québec (VPQ) has just been created. The goal of this new organization is to defend the rights of individuals who have become ill from pesticide exposure, as well as to educate and sensitize Quebecers on the health risks associated to
pesticides.
Although an entire year has passed since the National Assembly convened the Committee on Agriculture (CAPERN) to review the risks caused by pesticides to human health and the environment, these risks remain poorly known and are too often minimized. VPQ thus seeks to make the health risks associated to pesticides a priority amongst public health concerns.
Parkinson Québec will, of course, closely follow the actions of this new organization in order to best support it in defending this major societal issue.
Numerous scientific studies have established an indisputable link between pesticide exposure and the development of numerous chronic and incurable illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and prostate cancers..
This new association brings together patient associations and individuals who have developed illnesses as a result of exposure to pesticides, including farmers such as Serge Giard, a retired farmer with Parkinson’s disease and president of VPQ, who testifies to this aberrant reality: “Pesticides made me sick, even though we were told that pesticides were safe. The worst thing is that even today, many rural families are still facing human tragedies related to serious illnesses without any connection to pesticides”.
Victimes des pesticides du Québec invites all individuals and their families that have become ill from pesticide exposure to make their voices heard. “ We, farmers, must be strong and bear witness to the illnesses that reign in our ranks. We must finally be willing to speak openly and frankly amongst ourselves, since so many have unfortunately already passed away and are no longer here to attest to it ”, says Elizabeth McNamara, retired farmer and member of VPQ.
For Romain Rigal, Director of programs and services at Parkinson Quebec, “ it is apparent that concrete actions taken by the provincial and federal governments to curtail the toxic effects of
pesticides are lagging behind new independent scientific research.
The Legault government and particularly the Ministry of Health have a unique opportunity to act to protect Quebecers ”.
Victims of pesticide exposure do not want to be pitied, but rather wish fervently that the government react and take all necessary measures to avoid any future generations of Quebecers to inherit these illnesses. Today, it is our obligation to work together towards a healthy Quebec without pesticides.
To know more about the organization : https://www.victimespesticidesquebec.org
Contact :
Pascal Priori, member of the board of directors
info@victimespesticidesquebec.org
Parkinson disease and pesticides:
Read more about : click here
Consult the brief to learn more about the risks of developing pathologies due to pesticide exposure.