Breast Cancer - Three Easy Steps to Avoiding Environmental Risk Factors

Do you want to avoid cancer? Easy, don't breathe the air, drink the water or eat food.

Of course, that is a major oversimplification, but with the latest announcements in the news it seems that way.

Although eating, drinking and breathing are activities we cannot stop, there may be some steps that can make living a bit safer. What are they?

The breast cancer fund has put together a 5 point program to help reduce environmental causes for breast cancer, some you can start right now, and others through advocacy and political activism:

• PHASE OUT TOXIC CHEMICALS that are omnipresent in the lives of so many people.
  
  
• ENACT "SUNSHINE" LAWS AND ENFORCE EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LAWS to reduce the use of toxics by requiring companies to report how many tons of chemicals they use.
  
  
• PRACTICE HEALTHY PURCHASING, with local, state and federal governments leading the way in purchasing environmentally preferable products, thereby creating an example for individuals to follow.
  
  
• OFFER CORPORATE INCENTIVES that encourage businesses to eliminate the use of cancer causing chemicals in their products and processes.
  
  
• MONITOR BREAST MILK, through a comprehensive community program that identifies the chemicals present in breast milk, establishes links to geographic areas and initiates a plan to eliminate these contaminants.

In your home the easiest way to avoid pollutants is to try to buy organically grown foods, including milk products. Use a simple filter for your water. Most of the filtration systems do the same thing, so there is no need to buy the most expensive ones.

Use your air conditioner, the filter will screen out many air born pollutants as well as some of the allergens and dust that find their way into your home.

SOURCES: Canada NewsWire
Ontario Medical Association Press Release

June 30, 2002

Last Updated September 6, 2011

Elsewhere around the Web:

Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors - Cornell University

Breast Cancer and the Environment