Petition to the Government of Canada
  Whereas:
  
    Cancer is a leading cause of death among Canadians;
    Aggressive cancers are developing earlier in life, impacting ever-younger Canadians;
    These trends are worsening, despite well-known advice about behavioural risk factors such as smoking, alcohol, exercise, sun exposure and healthy eating;
    Lower cancer rates among immigrants increase over time, indicating elevated carcinogenicity associated with living in Canada;
    Many common hazardous exposures initiate and promote cancer;
    Cancer research, public messaging and care largely focus on early detection and treatment; and
    The House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (HESA) initiated a study including primary cancer prevention, and this requires minimizing environmental contributors to cancer.
  
  
    We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
    1.     Complete the HESA study, with a strong focus on environmental exposures and primary cancer prevention;
    2.     Research, communicate and prevent risks using improved data collection on use, emissions and exposures to potentially harmful and novel agents, and measures of human biomarkers of exposures and bioeffects;
    3.     Establish accessible, high-quality longitudinal data resources for human and environmental health research;
    4.     Make least-toxic options the norm by supporting a healthy, affordable food supply, improving regulation of environmental agents, and decreasing potentially hazardous exposures;
    5.     Reduce and eliminate potentially harmful substances through the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, Pest Control Products Act and other specific legislation (e.g., pertaining to food, drugs, personal care products); and
    6.     Fund research and implement responses to findings on emerging risks and safer alternatives.