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media release everyone - Scotland's environment groups campaigning together (500,000 supporters, 26 organisations, ONE voice) SCOTLAND’S CANCER EPIDEMIC STRENGTHENS ARGUMENT FOR EU CHEMICALS LAW
With deaths from cancer now the highest per head of population in the world, according to a study produced for the Scottish Executive by the Scottish Cancer Intelligence Unit, the everyone campaign today highlighted increasing evidence that environmental factors may be a factor. The Scottish Cancer Intelligence Unit notes that there is an increase in incidence for most common cancers in males, except lung cancer, and in most of the common cancers in females.
everyone is a coalition of 26 environmental organisations, including WWF Scotland and Friends of the Earth, campaigning on key environmental issues in the run-up to the European elections. Convenor of the everyone campaign, Helen McDade, said that although lifestyle factors, e.g. smoking and obesity, are well-recognised for increasing risk of cancer, there is growing evidence that environmental factors e.g. chemicals may also increase risk. Supporting this view is a study by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, quoted in the New England Journal of Medicine, which concluded that “the vast majority of cancers are caused not by inherited defects in people’s genes ... but by environmental and behavioural factors such as chemicals pollutants and unhealthy lifestyles”.
everyone is highlighting this issue just now because voters have an opportunity to show their concern and demand action from their European candidates. Legislation currently making its way through the EU, called the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and registration of Chemicals) Directive, needs to be weighted more heavily towards the health of European citizens and less driven by the concerns of the chemicals industry. Environmental organisations are demanding that the legislation enforces substitution of known hazardous chemicals, including those known to cause cancer, with safer alternatives. Helen McDade continued, “There are 130 lobbyists for the chemicals industry in Brussels working on getting this legislation watered down. It is essential for our environment and our health that voters make their concerns known by joining with the everyone campaign and asking candidates questions. One opportunity to do that will be at the everyone hustings to be held in Glasgow on the 24th May.”
For
further information: Helen McDade 01887 820449 mobile 07780 957665 hmcdade@wwfscotland.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The everyone campaign is supported by: Association of Regional and Island Archaeologists, Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group, Biological Recording in Scotland, Butterfly Conservation Scotland, Cairngorms Campaign, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust, John Muir Trust, Marine Conservation Society, Mountaineering Council of Scotland, The National Trust for Scotland, North East Mountain Trust, Plantlife, Ramblers' Association Scotland, Reforesting Scotland, RSPB Scotland, ruralScotland, Soil Association Scotland, Scottish Countryside Activities Council, Scottish Countryside Rangers' Association, Scottish Wild Land Group, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Sustrans Scotland , TRANSform Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland and WWF Scotland
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