Health, environmental and consumer groups congratulate the Government for
swiftly passing Bill C-36 through second reading in the House of Commons

TORONTO, Oct 12 /CNW/ - Safe Kids Canada, along with several other health, environmental and consumer groups, congratulates the Government for passing the Consumer Product Safety Act, Bill C-36, as presently written, through second reading in the House of Commons. The Government is now being urged to pass Bill C-36 before the holiday gift-giving season begins. 

Survey results have shown that the vast majority of Canadians believe that if a product is available for sale on the market, it is safe or has been tested for safety. This is not necessarily the case. In Canada, recalls on child products have significantly increased in recent years from 28 voluntary recalls in 2006 to 118 in 2008; this constitutes a 235 per cent increase over three years. There are more than 18,000 annual emergency room visits for children as a result of product-related injuries. According to CHIRPP, the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program that collects information on the emergency departments of 15 hospitals across Canada, since 1997, approximately 46 per cent of emergency department visits for injury in Canadians under 19 are related to consumer products.

Modernizing the current Hazardous Products Act, which has not been comprehensively updated since its introduction in 1969, is crucial for the health and safety of the people of Canada, especially those most vulnerable. The proposed Act will introduce new safety legislation that suppliers will have to meet, and new tools for Health Canada to better protect the health and safety of Canadians through effective enforcement measures such as mandatory testing and mandatory recalls of dangerous products. 

Bill C-36 is the third incarnation of the Consumer Products Safety Act. Its previous forms, referred to as Bill C-52 and Bill C-6, did not become law in 2008 or in 2009, respectively. This is a long overdue and crucial piece of legislation. 

Individuals and organizations that would like to see the passage of Bill C-36: Consumer Product Safety Act without delay, include:

Brent Hagel, PhD, Alberta Children's Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary
Canadian Association of Poison Control Centres
Canadian Institute for Child Health
Canadian Public Health Association
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Ontario Poison Centre
Safe Saskatchewan

For further information:

Kelly Mills
Safe Kids Canada
[email protected]
[phone]