Health groups push pesticide ban using new survey results

Health groupshave released an opinion pollthat they hope will persuade the New Brunswick government to push forward with a ban on "cosmetic" pesticides.

A poll commissioned by the Canadian Cancer Society, the Lung Association of New Brunswick and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment suggests79 per cent of people in the province would support a ban on thosechemicalsused to improve the look oflawns and gardens.

The results released Tuesday were similar to those found in a government report released in December.

Gideon Forman,executive director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, said the poll shows there is deep support for the province to prohibit pesticidesused for cosmetic purposes.

Forman said the survey also found that 72 per cent of the New Brunswickers surveyed don't use pesticides.

"And then they asked people who do use pesticides, 'Would you be willing to switch if we showed you how to?' ...most of those say yes they would," he said.

The opinion poll also found 47 per centsaying they completely support a ban, while32 per cent said they mostly support one.

The poll was conducted by Ipsos Reid in December and surveyed 438 people in New Brunswick.

Environment minister says decision coming in spring

Environment Minister Roland Hache said he hasheard what New Brunswickers think through a series of provincewide hearings last summer. He'll take that information into account when government makes a decision on a possible pesticide banduring the spring session of the legislature.

"Whether that calls for legislation or ministerial authority that has to be debated ...we're not there yet," Hache said.

The fouroptions examined by the province during the public consultation processrange from education and voluntary reduction to a full provincewide ban on pesticides.

The summary of the public consultation process that the department released in December said most ofpeople who took partin the discussions backed a ban overother options.