Toxic-Free
Kids
Kids
and pesticides don't mix.
Pesticides are very risky to use in areas where
children live, play, and go to school. Pesticide residues
can remain indoors for long periods of time. Even outdoors,
pesticide residues can last for hours, days, or much longer.
Because of their small size, age-dependent behaviors (like
crawling on the ground!) and rapidly-developing bodies,
children are more vulnerable to many health hazards
of toxic pesticides. Preventing exposures
during critical windows of development during pregnancy and
childhood is crucial for children's health and well-being.
Safer
alternatives to pesticides for children's environments.
Currently, Toxic Free NC is working with communities
all across the state of North Carolina to get pesticides
out of their public school districts and childcare centers.
We're helping to organize communities and win least-toxic Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) programs and policies
in their public schools, and working with childcare providers
to implement IPM policies and contracts at their centers.
IPM is a common sense approach to pest control
that reduces reliance on toxic pesticides using a prevention-based
system to manage pest populations using the least-toxic methods
possible. It is both more
cost-effective, since most pest problems
are prevented before they even happen, and healthier,
since students are much less likely to be exposed to toxic
pesticides. Download our factsheet, What
is IPM?, for more details (English, 15KB).
IPM programs will soon be required in all North
Carolina public schools under the NC
School Children's Health Act, adopted by
the NC General Assembly in July, 2006. Download our guide, What
Parents Should Know about the School Children's Health Act,
for more details (English, 122KB), or visit our resource
pages for Parents & Communities or
for Teachers
& Schools for more information about rights and
responsibilities under the new law.
Get involved today.
Parents, grandparents, teachers, and childcare
providers all around North Carolina are choosing safer alternatives
to pesticides to protect the children they care about, and
you can too. For ideas and assistance, and to find out what
you can do to get your school, childcare center, or park
to switch to IPM, please don't hesitate to contact Billie
Karel, Program Coordinator at (919) 833-1123, or by
email.
Toxic-Free Kids resources for:
Parents & Communities | Schools
& Teachers | Childcare
Providers
Toxic Free NC Policy Watch: Pesticides & Children's
Health
Latest news headlines and commentary
on fair
ground.
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