Invitation to a Breast Cancer Prevention Month event – hosted by Helen Hayes MP. 26th October 11 am – 1 pm, Attlee Room, Portcullis House.

Speakers include: Helen Hayes MP, Zarin Hainsworth OBE, Chair NAWO, Helen Lynn, From Pink to Prevention, Hilda Palmer, Hazards Campaign, Nick Mole Policy Office Pesticide Action Network UK.

As we come to the end of Breast Cancer Prevention Month, we will be asking the question ‘what are the implications for breast cancer after Brexit?’ and exploring the answers. The chances are you’ll never have thought about breast cancer prevention in relation to Brexit. Yet they are linked. For example, our clean beaches and seas benefit from progressive EU legislation. Our health as citizens, consumers and workers most certainly has done and continues to benefit for EU legislation.

The European chemicals regulation (REACH) is a highly sophisticated, progressive pan-EU system to control toxic chemicals and, though not perfect, is the best in the world. At its heart is ‘the precautionary principle’ which means to take action to prevent harm, even if there is uncertainty. For the UK to be de-coupled from REACH would have a devastating impact on many aspects of consumer, workplace and environmental health and our economic wellbeing.

Please download the Brexit and breast cancer invite.

To reserve a place please RSVP to: Helen Lynn helen@frompinktoprevention.org Deborah Burton: 07779203455

This article was first published in the London Hazards Centre Magazine on the 26/6/17.

While you probably won’t have seen the words Brexit and breast cancer prevention appearing in any headline together, they are inextricable linked. Currently, EU health and safety and environmental laws exist to help protect us against the many exposures to harmful chemicals linked to cancer and illness and disease such as reproductive and development effects; infertility; asthma and allergies. While nothing is 100% effective if not implemented and monitored properly, these EU regulations  governing chemical and worker safety are seen as the best in the world, albeit there is always room for improvement.  Thanks to EU chemicals regulation we now have safer workplaces, cleaner beaches, healthier farming methods, and also better chemicals regulation for consumer products including cosmetics, food packaging, pesticides and plastics.

Many of the chemicals we come into contact with on a daily basis in our homes, workplaces and in the wider environment are linked to breast cancer. So what happens if we have a ‘hard’ Brexit removing the UK from being under the jurisdiction of these protections?
Continue reading Beyond Brexit and breast cancer risk →

The UK House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has today published the report of its inquiry on chemicals regulation after the EU referendum, which particularly focussed on the EU’s world-leading REACH system for regulating chemicals. The EAC criticise the UK Government’s lack of openness about its post-Brexit plans, and point out that most respondents want the UK to remain ‘as closely aligned to REACH as possible‘.

The EAC’s main conclusions

• • The chemicals regulation framework established by the EU through REACH is difficult to transpose directly into UK law. Writing EU regulations into UK law could not be done simply by having a line in the “Great Repeal Bill” deeming REACH to apply in the UK. REACH was written from the perspective of participants being within the EU, with much of it also relating to Member State co-operation and mutual obligations, oversight and controls, and freedom of movement of products

Continue reading Vital Call: MPs want post-Brexit UK to keep to EU’s main chemicals law REACH →