Having been housebound for far too many years due to having to avoid exposure to common, everyday products and materials that disable me, has given me time to observe the world (and sometimes even make a little sense of it).
Still, there are some things that make no sense. With over 404,207 Ontario citizens diagnosed with MCS, and 740,370 with one or more diagnoses of MCS, FM, and/or CFS (ME) (in 2016), why hasn’t the Ontario government done anything about the Task Force recommendation to raise
Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Human Rights, Policy, Public Health
Tagged allergies, asthma, autism, cancer, CFS/ME, chemical sensitivity, environmental sensitivities, fibromyalgia, fragrance-free, hazardous air pollutants, IAQ, invisible disabilities, MCS, multiple chemical sensitivities, sensitive to pollution, toxic trespass, VOCs
An important update on the situation in Ontario, from Varda Burstyn, one of the original members of the Task Force on Environmental Health.
Please read and share, and find a way to put pressure on the elected reps, and if possible, get much needed media attention on this travesty of justice!
Note too that it’s not just for us, it’s a public health issue when over 50% of children have chronic health problems (including preschool kids with disabling anxiety), and something like 2/3 of the population on at least one pharmaceutical drug. We know that removing the cause of the problem results in better health than ineffectively trying to manage some symptoms!
When the canaries are ignored, public health suffers!
“These three environmental health conditions typically have a devastating impact on the individuals affected. Unfortunately, our health care system too often has not helped them to the extent they need. The report of the Task Force sets out a course that will begin to remedy this. I look forward to seeing the Minister’s response to our report, and urge him to respond quickly and decisively. There is a need for strong leadership.“ Neil Stuart, Vice-Chair of the Task Force.
Few people have any idea of the number of people in Ontario afflicted with the debilitating, painful, often co-occurring and even life-threatening conditions of Environmental Sensitivity/Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (about 310,000), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (about 215,000) and Fibromyalgia (about 196,800). But it turns out that, in total, there are a…
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Posted in Accessibility, Community, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Policy, Public Health
Tagged CFS/ME, discrimination., environmental sensitivities, FM, health care, MCS, Ontario, Task Force, Varda Burstyn
The ARCH Disability Law Centre and the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) announced in September of 2016 that they were working on a report about the challenges faced by people with multiple chemical and/or environmental sensitivities.
ARCH Alert September 2016
“ARCH, in collaboration with the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), has been working on a report about the challenges faced by people with multiple chemical and/or environmental sensitivities. Our report was informed by consultations with persons who experience these disabilities.
One of our major findings is the significant extent of attitudinal barriers faced by this group of people. Often, they find that they are not believed when they ask that scents, fragrances or other products not be worn in the workplace, educational settings, health care settings or places where services are received. We believe that a large awareness campaign is needed to educate the public about the impact of these disabilities on all aspects of a person’s life.”
The release of their report has been delayed because they want to respond to the Ontario Task Force on Environmental Health’s Interim Report, which came out just when their own report was intended for release.
In the November 2017 issue of Arch Alert, both ARCH and CELA urge the Task Force to do more consultations with those of us who are living the experience:
Posted in Accessibility, Environment, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Policy
Tagged ARCH, autism, CELA, CFS, CFS/ME, chemical sensitivity, children, EHS, environmental sensitivities, FM, Housing, invisible disabilities, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, Ontario, Research, wireless
Dr Stephen Genuis is someone who has an excellent understanding about environmental and public health.
He now has a new website and has also started an easy to understand video series on environmental health, where he discusses causes, effects, and what can be done to help the growing numbers of us who experience environmentally linked chronic health challenges.
By “those of us” I (and he) mean many more people than conventional medicine considers to be environmentally affected, and he gives excellent examples of this in the videos (as well as in his research papers).
Posted in Education, Environmental Health, Health Promotion, Public Health
Tagged allergies, alzheimer's, asthma, autism, cancer, CFS/ME, chemical sensitivity, Chemicals, deficiencies, dementia, environment, exposures, fibromyalgia, MCS, mental health, mercury poisoning, MS, nutrition, petrochemicals, sensitivities, Stephen J. Genuis
Good news for some people who have MCS/ES, CFS/ME, and FM
RESCUE PLAN FOR PEOPLE WITH CENTRAL SENSITIVITY SYNDROMES:
THE CITY OF TARRAGONA (CATALONIA, SPAIN) IS THE FIRST MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT THAT IMPLEMENTS IT!
The first municipal government that has stepped forward to implement this plan, is the City of Tarragona Municipal Government (Tarragona is a major city 100 kilometres south of Barcelona). In the plenary session held last November 30th, the “Institutional Declaration of support for people with Central Sensitivity Syndromes” was approved, which consists of a concrete programme of measures. This is a historical step.
In part, the agreement includes:
I was hoping to be able to share some good news with you all, and here it is. We ARE making progress! It is unfortunate that it has taken this long, but I believe we are almost at the point where we will see an “overnight” shift happen.
Here’s what Dr John Molot (the author of “12,000 Canaries Can’t Be Wrong”) has to say:
It’s the end of 2015, a time to celebrate the promise of the coming year but also a time to reflect on the 12 months that have just passed. It was an incredibly exciting year for me professionally. As a physician who advocated for my patients for so many years, I no longer feel that I am paddling upstream against the hardline, medically conservative current that has discredited environmental medicine for decades. The patient groups that I work with have realistic hope for improved care in the near future.
My 2015 :: Science :: Media
Medical Profession :: Insurance Companies :: The Canaries
What’s to come?
This year, I have had several opportunities to effectively represent the people with environmentally linked conditions. I have been actively involved with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in the development of the promised (2014) Task Force on Environmental…
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Posted in Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Pollution, Public Health
Tagged canaries, CFS/ME, FM, health care, MCS, MCS/ES, progress
Many of us have been waiting for action for decades, let’s hope that this is the project that finally makes it happen. It has been a long time coming…
‘RECOGNITION, INCLUSION AND EQUITY – THE TIME IS NOW: PERSPECTIVES OF ONTARIANS LIVING WITH ES/MCS, ME/CFS AND FM’
From Varda Burstyn:
At long last, I am writing to let you know about four new groundbreaking reports – products of a 5-year initiative that I and colleagues began in 2008 – that present exciting new research on the three environmentally linked conditions of ES/MCS, ME/CFS and FM, and that develop a wonderful new model of care and support for those living with the conditions in Ontario.
Posted in Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health Care, Human Rights, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Policy, Public Health
Tagged accessibility, CFS/ME, children, EHS, environmental health, fibromyalgia, FM, health, healthcare, MCS, MCS/ES, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Ontario, petrochemicals, sensitive to pollution, Varda Burstyn, wi-fi
