David Suzuki reports on where Canada is falling behind in protecting Canadians from harm.

The David Suzuki Foundation released this report highlighting where Canada is falling behind in protecting people from harm. While most developed countries have adopted national health and environment strategies, Canada has not.

Prescription for a Healthy Canada calls on the federal government, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, to adopt a national environmental health strategy for Canada.

Each year, millions of Canadians become ill or disabled after being exposed to environmental contaminants linked to asthma, gastrointestinal illness, poisonings, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, developmental disorders, birth defects, and reproductive problems.

Unlike the U.S., Australia, and the European Union, Canada lacks both a national program to monitor children’s exposures to environmental contaminants, and a national system to track diseases and deaths caused by environmental contaminants. The recommendations in Prescription for a Healthy Canada for reducing air pollution, protecting water quality, improving food safety, addressing threats posed by consumer products, and banning the most hazardous substances currently being used will put Canada in step with world leaders in environmental health.    The full report can be found at www.davidsuzuki.org