SENSOR-Pesticides - Impact - Pesticides in Schools

Pesticides in Schools

Researchers from the SENSOR-Pesticides program published an article in 2005 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on pesticide poisoning in schools. The article, which included data collected by SENSOR, described illnesses in students and school employees associated with pesticide exposures. The study found that rates of pesticide-related illnesses in children rose significantly from 1998 to 2002 and called for a reduction in pesticide use to prevent pesticide-related illness on or near school grounds. The article generated media coverage and drew attention to pesticide safety in schools and to safer alternatives to pesticides through integrated pest management (IPM). "he study does provide evidence that using pesticides at schools is not innocuous and that there are better ways to use pesticides," said study co-author Dr. Geoffrey Calvert. Officials in organizations supporting the pesticide industry, such as CropLife America and RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, a trade association representing pesticide manufacturers and suppliers), reacted strongly to the report, calling it “alarmist” and “incomplete” in its health reporting. CropLife America president Jay Vroom claimed that the report was “written without context about the proper use of pesticides in schools and not mention the positive public health protections they provide" and stated that pesticide use in schools is "well regulated" and can be managed so that the risk is low. RISE president Allen James faulted the article for relying on unverified reports and said that evidence suggested that such incidents were extremely rare. The increased awareness of pesticide use in schools influenced parents and other stakeholders in numerous states to call for the adoption of integrated pest management programs. According to the National Pest Management Association, three more states passed IPM rules or laws between October 2005 and October 2008.