Health
Impact
At its May 2001
Annual Meeting, the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses
Association passed a resolution calling for policy
action concerning quality of life of individuals in
regard to air quality, safe water and safe food
production.
In August 2002,
the 135th Annual Meeting of the Canadian
Medical Association adopted the following resolutions:
that CMA express its concern regarding the risk
to public health in rural areas that is presented by the
development of industrial hog farms; that CMA ask
federal, provincial and territorial governments for a
moratorium on the expansion of the hog industry until
scientific data on the attendant health risks are known;
that CMA urge the federal, provincial and territorial
governments to initiate and support research into
contaminants associated with industrial hog farms.
On January 9,
2004, the American Public Health Association issued a
resolution urging federal, state, and local government
health agencies to impose a precautionary moratorium on
all new concentrated animal feeding operations – also
known as ILOs and factory farms – and to initiate and
support further research on the health impacts of air
and water pollution from such operations.
How much longer
will the federal, provincial, and local governments,
elected to exercise due diligence to protect the
citizens of this country, continue to finance and
support this activity while ignoring the informed calls
for a halt to this threat to Canada and its residents?
When will
protecting the health of Canadians become more important
than lining the pockets of the pig factory owners and
their friends?
Elaine Hughes
Stop the Hogs Coalition
Archerwill, SK
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