Cancer Action NY and St. Lawrence County Governments Advocate for Cancer Prevention Education
Legislation is needed, that will provide for the establishment of state and national public health education programs which address the subject of pollutant carcinogen exposure reduction. These cancer prevention education programs must cover at the very least: dioxins, dioxin-like compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bisphenol-A, PBDEs, benzene, and carcinogenic metals.
Cancer Action NY is developing allies for a collective effort to bring about the creation of national and New York State legislation that would provide for pollutant carcinogen exposure reduction education of the general public.
On January 11th, the Canton Town Board passed a resolution that expresses its support for cancer prevention education with particular focus on reducing exposures to dioxins and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The board will be sending letters to NYS DOH, US EPA, and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand advocating for such educational efforts by federal and state government.
The St. Lawrence County Legislature passed a resolution on January 4th, directing the head of the County Public Health Department, Dr. Susan Hathaway to write to NYS Department of Health (NYS DOH) Commissioner, Dr. Richard Daines, encouraging the Commissioner to conduct an investigation of cancer prevention as described in our letter to Dr. Daines found below. A cancer prevention investigation would provide the opportunity for a paradigm shift in NYS DOH. Preventing cancer via state of the scientific knowledge education on carcinogen exposure reduction must come to be the principal cancer control practice. Currently, the main emphasis of cancer control is early detection and treatment.
New York State Department of Health Commissioner Richard Daines Corning Tower Empire State Plaza Albany, NY 12237
Dear Commissioner Daines,
During the past several decades a substantial body of scientific research has accumulated on the subjects of cancer causation and the role of pollutant exposure in carcinogenesis. The general public lacks any significant awareness of this knowledge.
Public Health Law, Article 24. Control of Malignant Diseases. Title 1, Section 2400. Cancer; powers and duties of commissioner. sets forth several subjects which the commissioner of the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) is required to investigate. Cancer prevention is one of these lawfully established subjects for investigation. Will you as commissioner of the NYS DOH commence an investigation of cancer prevention by no later than June of 2010? This investigation must focus on reviewing the current scientific literature for the purpose of creating state of knowledge educational messages for the general public on the subject of pollutant carcinogen exposure reduction.
The scientific research literature relating to certain pollutants, including: dioxins and dioxin-like compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bisphenol-A, benzene, and the carcinogenic metals arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead is especially voluminous and must be considered in the above described investigation. Lack of educational efforts must not deprive the public of the cancer preventive benefit that knowledge of exposure avoidance can provide.
Thank you for your attention to this request.
joyous in Nature,
Don Hassig
Finger Lakes Morning News, host Ted Baker Cancer Action Network
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