The Learning Disabilities Association of Maine is excited to announce that Tracy Gregoire has joined our team as our new Maine Healthy Children's Program Director.
As a mother of a young child and an Aunt of an Autistic nephew, Tracy understands the damands and challenges families with learning and developmental disabilities face every day. Contact Tracy to learn more about how to protect your family from toxic chemicals.
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LDAME and ACHM Welcomes the Introduction of the Safe Chemicals Act!
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Healthy Homes and Families
How to Reduce Your Family’s Exposure to Toxic Chemicals at Home
We are proud to announce a revision of our popular resource from LDA of Maine. Our booklet, “Healthy Homes and Families” which we developed in order to help families avoid sources of exposure to toxic chemicals in their own homes and backyards is now available.
As you are aware, 127,000 Maine children and adults suffer with learning disabilities and many more from attention disabilites such as ADHD. The National Academy of Sciences reports that over a quarter (28%) of learning disabilities cases are caused in part by environ-mental exposure to toxic chemicals. We want to share information which will help families take precautions to protect their children’s health. Comments and questions from organizations and individuals around the state at our meetings and presentations during the last years were the inspiration for this booklet.
“ Healthy Homes and Families” describes common-sense actions we can take around our homes and backyards, first explaining the kind of threat and then listing safer alternatives for the same activity or product. The booklet is written with Maine households in mind—all the information about recycling and about products is based on what is available in-state right now. At the back of the booklet, and throughout the text, there are references to on-line resources which will help readers continue their own research on these topics.
As members of the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, the Learning Disabilities Association works to eliminate sources of exposure to toxic chemicals in Maine and protect the health of Maine citizens. Learn more about the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine through the following link http://www.preventharm.org/camp.part.shtml We welcome your support.
Check out 7th Generation's fun new website, the Million Baby Crawl, and say no to toxic chemicals by creating your own crawler at: www.seventhgeneration.com/million-baby-crawl/
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Consumer Reports Finds Canned Foods Are Contaminated with BPA
The December issue of Consumer Reports reveals results from their independent testing of canned foods for the hormone disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). They found BPA in nearly every canned product they tested. According to the report, "Consumers eating just one serving of canned vegetable soup we tested would get about double what the FDA now considers typical daily dietary exposure." In a recent New York Times article, columnist Nicholas Kristof examines the evidence of BPA exposure and remarks "In my reporting around the world, I've come to terms with the threats from warlords, bandits and tarantulas. But endocrine disrupting chemicals-they give me the willies."
We're calling on BPA to be listed as a priority chemical for phaseout through Maine's new Kid-Safe Product law, join us at the public hearing on December 17th (see above). Email Tracy for details.
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As members of he Alliance for a Clean and Healthy maine, the Learning Disabilities Association works to eliminate sources of exposure to toxic chemicals in Maine and protect the health of maine citizens. Learn more about the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine at www.cleanandhealthyme.org.
