Serious Deficiencies in the Regulation of Toxic Chemicals

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a global epidemic of noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs), which include heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. You cannot contract these diseases from others. The primary causes are environmental factors and lifestyle choices. This means we can prevent them by altering our habits, food choices, and farming practices; reducing industrial pollution; and avoiding environmental exposures and lifestyle factors that contribute to them. Pesticides and chemicals are strongly implicated in this global epidemic; however, researchers and health professionals largely overlook the extent of their role.