May is Toxic Injury Awareness and Education month.  

Have you been poisoned by consumer product or environmental toxins? Many people have been and don't know it.

                                                                                                                                               

People around the globe are being exposed to air pollution, water contamination, overuse/misuse of pesticides and toxic mold, etc. that manifest in seemingly spontaneous, severe and disabling conditions. Research shows that all cancers, neuro-degenerative diseases, heart attacks and strokes and other chronic health conditions are caused or exacerbated by consumer product or environmental toxins. They are Toxic Injuries. Toxic exposure/injury is a very serious issue of pandemic proportions. Toxic Injury (T.I.) is unequivocally physically, and financially devastating to the people, the environment and the economy.

Toxic Injury affects the respiratory, central nervous, immune, musculoskeletal, porphyrin, metabolism and hormone systems.  It can cause abnormal egg, sperm, genital deformity or cancers such as prostate, breast, leukemia, brain and others. Toxic Injury is often characterized by medical intolerance to minute amounts of air pollution, petrochemicals, mold and other toxins found in our homes, schools, places of employment, public areas, etc. Toxins are in our everyday products and environment. It can be caused by acute or chronic exposure. Toxic Injury is non-partisan it transcends the boundaries of race, color, creed, economic level, social and educational status, age, gender, urban or rural dweller, blue or white collar, or sexual preference. It is, tongue in cheek, an equal opportunity disability. Toxic Injury is a chronic debilitating condition causing serious financial, employment, learning, housing, health, social and other consequences . . .  and it is the fastest growing segment of the disabled population. 

• “According to the CDC, 133 million people in the U.S.—almost half of all Americans—are now living with these and other chronic diseases and conditions, which now account for 70% of deaths and 75% of U.S. health care costs.” Safer Chemicals, Healthy families; Case for Reforming the TSCA

Independent studies show that 15 to 44% of tested populations have chemical hypersensitivity, another form of toxic injury. Recognizing that there is some overlap , we can conservatively estimate 123,600,000  (@ 40%) of the

 U.S. population (over 309,000,000), and a shocking 272,720,000 of the world population (estimated to be over 6,818,000,000) that are toxically injured or disabled.  Isn't it past time that we addressed this pandemic problem? 

Through awareness and education people everywhere can gain lifesaving knowledge and be better able to make informed decisions, which will help stop the illnesses and disabilities before they happen. For every choice we make ~ there is a safer choice.  Please, help stop the poisoning, make a positive difference, one choice at a time. Example:

We can all practice good stewardship simply by buying or planting and consuming foods grown and raised without the use of pesticides, chemicals, growth hormones, additives, etc That one simple step will have a positive domino effect on your health and well being and also on our environment and natural resources. We can switch to non-fragranced personal and cleaning products. We can use glass instead of plastic (petroleum product leaching can cause severe and even life threatening illnesses.) We can teach our children to recycle and to use, then reuse paper instead of plastic bags (this simple step will cut down on the burden on our landfills, benefit our environment and we will all save money). Let’s learn to recycle more and waste less.

Unfortunately, most of those living with Toxic Injury/disabilities are homebound due to the seriousness of our reactions to added exposures. It saddens ~ no, it makes us fighting mad, to hear the following, and realize that little to no preventative or remedial action has been taken:

• There are millions of toxins presently in use today ~ only a handful has ever been tested for safety or human consumption or use.  EPA, CDC

• there is a corresponding rise in birth defects & infant mortality to the increase in consumer product toxins and mold.

• Dr. John Green a specialist in neuro-degenerative diseases in children says, "6 out of 10 children suffer from a neurologic condition due to (consumer product) toxins.”

•Other specialists have repeatedly linked all childhood cancers to consumer product and environmental toxins. The same is true for birth defects, as studies show adult body burden of toxins are transferred to the fetus and have been measured in umbilical chord blood. Those facts are horrifying enough, but according to CDC 95% of the adult population have blood serum levels of BPA that cause changes on 200 genes.

• In a strongly worded declaration, many of the world’s leading environmental scientists warned Thursday that exposure to common chemicals makes babies more likely to develop an array of health problems later in life, including diabetes, attention deficit disorders, prostate cancer, fertility problems, thyroid disorders and even obesity.” Chemicals harming fetuses--LA Times article, Subject: Article from Common Dreams News Center, Date: Sat, 26 May 2007 11:48:35 -0400

• “The proportion of environmentally induced learning and developmental disabilities is a question of profound human, scientific and public policy significance,” said lead author Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT, of the Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders, “and has implications for individuals, families, school systems, communities and the future of our society. The bottom line is it is our ethical responsibility to ensure all children have a healthy future.” Attendance, performance, and attention spans ALL improve when the quality of air is increased.

We could go on and on with innumerable facts, so astounding that they too beg the question, “how on earth did we ever let this get so far out of control?”

We thank the Governors and Mayors who have taken a stand against unnecessary and avoidable toxic exposures, and for the civil rights of the toxically injured.

More info at: toxicinjury.org   

 

Sincerely, your friends in Hope & Health,

Peggy, Julia, Jennifer, and John

 

Peggy Troiano, Founder and Program Manager, Florida  

Julia Williams, Executive Director, Florida  

Jennifer McKinnis, Accommodations Advocate & Pacific NW Regional Representative 

John McBride, New Jersey State Representative & Toxic Mold Activist/Consultant

Applied Knowledge is Power ~ Prevention is Key. . . Peggy Troiano