Project Description

Health Canada’s Environmental Health Program in the Ontario Region (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) and CASLE (Canadians for A Safe Learning Environment) are joining efforts to raise youth awareness about chemical and environmental health risks (Indoor Air and Radon) and actions to take to reduce those risks in order to prevent unnecessary health impacts over their lifetimes and the lives of their future children.

Background

There is increasing evidence that exposure to environmental health risks before conception, before birth, and in early childhood can lead to various development problems and chronic diseases such as asthma. There is also evidence that early prevention, can help reduce these risks. Moreover, teaching young people about how to prevent these exposures may have a significant impact on the health of Canadian youth and the health of their future children.

Although Health Canada has successful ongoing programs to educate Canadians about these facts, many Canadians remain unaware of the positive impacts this knowledge can have on their health, their future children’s health, and the health of their environment.

How Can More Canadians Learn to Reduce these Environmental Health Risks ?

• Links to Health Canada’s information on preventing environmental impacts on human health have been added to the Healthy Schools Day website, http://healthyschoolsday.ca/
• Similar information and links have been added to several resource sections on CASLE’s main website, casle.ca, such as to the Classroom Materials section, Children’s Vulnerability section, Environmental Health section, Indoor Air Quality section, and the Learning and Health Effects section.

We hope that the schools across Canada will take advantage of these opportunities, as we feel strongly that the online content will not only help build environmentally sustainable schools, but also build future leaders.

Health Canada’s research and publications on Environmental Impacts on Human Health, and on how to prevent such harm, are available at www.hc-sc.gc.ca and through these specific links:

Hazardcheck publication- http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/healthy-living-vie-saine/environment-environnement/home-maison/hazard-risque-eng.php

Radon – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/radon/index-eng.php

Indoor Air Quality – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/air/in/index-eng.php

Outdoor Air Quality – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/air/out-ext/index-eng.php

Environmental Health Publications –  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/index-eng.php