Halifax says No to pesticides

With a strong show of hands at city hall — 17 to 6 — Halifax has become the first major city in Canada to ban the use of pesticides on residential lawns and gardens. Beginning next April, it will be illegal to use pesticides within 50 m of hospitals or schools. The full ban takes effect in 2003.

The city council vote capped 4 months of often rancorous public hearings and debate. Among the no-spray proponents was the Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians. Restricting pesticide use “is in the best interests of the health of our children,” says Dr. Cathy MacLean, the president-elect. “My sense is that children are at risk with respect to exposure to pesticides because of their size.” —

Figure.