2. PUT SAFETY FIRST

America has a long-established history of taking a preventative approach to diseases. Women are careful about what they eat and drink during pregnancy, and children are immunized against disease and take vitamins. Preventative approaches to protect our children from exposure to environmental chemicals should be no different. Children are more vulnerable and chemically-sensitive than adults. A small amount of toxic chemicals in their drinking water, air or food can cause serious and permanent harm.

3. EXERCISE DEMOCRACY

Government and industry decision-making on chemical exposures and children’s health needs the active participation of people, especially parents, concerned about children’s safety and health. Independent scientific research should inform the public discussion on the best policies to safeguard our children. Children depend on adults to take action and vote for candidates who give prioritiy to protecting children from exposures to harmful environmental chemicals.

Many groups are working to protect children’s health by reducing children’s exposure to toxic chemicals and other health hazards in schools and homes. Communities facing direct health threats to children in school, such as asbestos, lead, toxic mold, pesticide exposure, or pollution from hazardous chemicals beneath or near school grounds are taking action. People form a group, investigate the problem, and develop a plan to convince decision makers to do the right thing and solve the problem.

For instance, we need to ensure that new schools are built on uncontaminated sites. Often, zoning laws restrict building residential or business property on a contaminated area, but permit schools to be built on such property, despite the fact that children are more vulnerable to toxics than adults. We need to create state and national laws to set more stringent school siting requirements, to ensure healthier schools for the future.

You can help schools become healthier places for kids by participating in programs on school environmental issues such as indoor air quality, non-toxic products, and integrated pest management.

We choose the precautionary approach to protect our health and
environment for ourselves and future generations.

BE SAFE Platform is coordinated by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. To sign the platform or for more information, contact us at CHEJ, P.O. Box 6806, Falls Church, VA 22040, 703-237-2249, or 518-732-4538, visit www.besafenet.com

4. CHOOSE THE SAFEST SOLUTIONS

Does your Child’s School Use Toxic Cleaners & Pesticides?
Ask! Urge them to use nontoxic methods and contact your local parent, teacher or student group. For information, contact three national groups at:
www.childproofing.org www.beyondpesticides.org and www.healthyschools.org .

Use Non-Toxic Products.
Avoid using toxic chemicals in your home or on your lawn. Use non-toxic cleaners and natural lawn care products. For more information, contact www.checnet.org and www.cehn.org.

Find Out about Local Toxic Hazards.
Investigate industrial air pollution or toxic sites near your home or your child’s daycare center or school. For more information, contact www.scorecard.org.

Join BE SAFE.
Sign on to the BE SAFE Platform on the next page. Be counted when we deliver this national Platform to the White House in 2005. Endorse the BE SAFE Platform today at www.besafenet.com.

Your Vote Counts.
The next election will set the country’s course on asphalt plant regulations. For information on environmental voting records, contact www.sierraclub.org and www.lcv.org. To register to vote, contact www.earthday.net

A Civil Action
Polluted Water Linked to Children’s Leukemia
Community Successfully Advocates
for Clean Drinking Water Supply

Donna’s son Robbie suffered and died from childhood leukemia while living in Woburn, Massachusetts, a working-class city north of Boston. A terrible tragedy happened in this sleepy suburban neighborhood, which years later became well known through the book and movie entitled A Civil Action.

One mother of a sick child did a neighborhood survey and found an unusual cluster of children with leukemia who were all drinking from the same city well. Working with local church leaders, she and other concerned parents began the long struggle to investigate whether their water was contaminated with toxic chemicals. This effort todemonstrate the connection between polluted drinking water and childhood cancer led to the closure of the well and the cleanup of industrial property used by W.R. Grace and Beatrice Foods.

A lawsuit was filed and families received some compensation. But no amount of money will bring back the innocent children who died, nor will it excuse the behavior of government officials. Agencies demanded absolute proof of a connection between the contaminated water and children’s leukemia before taking action. Parents urged a precautionary approach—close the polluted well and investigate the leukemia cluster. If precautionary steps had been taken, the toxic exposures could have been eliminated and perhaps some children would not have become sick or died.



Protecting Children’s Health	Disturbing Increases in Childhood Diseases Childhood cancer continues to increase and is the number one disease related cause of death in children. [ALA 1998]. Children up to four years of age show increases of 53% in brain and other nervous system cancers, and 32% in kidney and urinary system cancers from 1973 to 1995. Female teenagers ages 15 to 19 experienced a 78% increase in ovarian cancer; male teens experienced a 65% increase in testicular cancer; and all teens saw a 128% increase in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from 1973 to 1995. [NCI 1998]. Childhood learning disabilities, hyperactive behavior and the inability to maintain attention have soared nationwide. The number of children in special education programs increased 191% from 1977 to 1994. [GBPSR 2000]. Asthma afflicts nearly 4.8 million U.S. children. Asthma rates among children under 5 years of age increased 160% between 1980 and 1994, and by 74% among children 5 to 14 years of age. It is the leading cause of school absenteeism and hospital admissions (for chronic conditions.) [ALA 1998].
BE SAFE: Take Precautionary Action to Protect Our Children’s Health

BE SAFE’s FOUR PRINCIPLES
1. HEED EARLY WARNING SIGNS Many parents, teachers, health practitioners and scientific researchers are worried about the growing trend of childhood diseases. Chemicals in our everyday environments—such as our home drinking water or school indoor air—likely play a role in these alarming statistics. Health investigators are undertaking studies to better understand the link between an increase in a disease and a specific type of exposure. While the science on environmental health is young, and there is much we do not yet know about the harm to children from chemical exposures, we do know enough to act. Substantial research has shown lead reduces children’s intelligence and causes neurological problems. [Needleman 1994]. Certain persistent toxic chemicals, such as dioxin, reach the baby while still in the mother’s womb and can cause learning disabilities, a weakened immune system (more ear infections for instance) and cancer. [APDR 1999]. Over a billion pounds of neurotoxins (chemicals that can affect a child’s brain) are released annually by industrial facilities, contaminating our children’s air, water and food. This does not include those to which we are exposed from everyday products which are not generally labeled. Some neurotoxins are applied intentionally. Schools, for example, often use pesticides on a routine basis exposing children to dangerous chemical residues on floors and athletic fields. Numerous scientists believe many diseases and learning problems may be related to children’s exposure to chemicals. [GBPSR 2000; Needleman 1994]. Growing childhood diseases and disabilities could have a devastating impact on our nation and future generations. [CPOC 2001]. How can we address the growing numbers of children who are sick or unable to reach their full intellectual potential? Heed these early warning signs, and prevent toxic exposures by taking a precautionary approach.