Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 4,700 human-made substances that are used as surfactants, lubricants, repellents (for dirt, water, and grease). They can be found in certain firefighting foams, textiles (including carpets, furniture, and clothing), cosmetics, and in food packaging materials.

Adverse environmental and health effects have been observed for well-studied PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs and their salts and precursors) and they have been shown to pose a risk to the Canadian environment. In Canada, PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs (and their salts and precursors) are prohibited through regulations; however, scientific evidence to date indicates the PFAS used to replace regulated PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs may also be associated with environmental and/or human health effects.

Therefore, the Government of Canada is considering activities that would address PFAS as a class. A notice of intent to address the broad class of PFAS was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 155 No. 17 – April 24, 2021.

In 2021, the Government of Canada will:

• continue to invest in research and monitoring on PFAS
• collect and examine information on PFAS to inform a class-based approach
• review policy developments in other jurisdictions

In addition, within the next 2 years, the Government of Canada will publish a state of PFAS report, which will summarize relevant information on the class of PFAS.

From 'sick care' to 'health care'

 The American healthcare system is one of the world’s most expensive, yet health outcomes frequently are no better than other developed nations. Why is this happening? 

The key issue is that we have a medical system that is designed to successfully treat disease, rather than a system invested in maximizing the wellbeing of individuals prior to illness. As chronic diseases are on the rise, we’re seeing the current system fail to accommodate today’s medical climate which increases the burden of illness on individuals and society as a whole. So it begs the question, isn’t it time we shift our mindset and health care system to meet the needs of today’s patients?  

Currently, the health care system is based on a reactive approach to illness. We wait until people are sick before we treat them and focus on symptoms and disease treatment, rather than proactively addressing their overall health and wellbeing. This is referred to as a “sick care” mindset. While this seems like an appropriate way to approach your health, it’s no longer working for today’s climate of managing illness and disease. 

We need to shift our mindset from ‘sick care’ to ‘health care’. A health care system incorporates a proactive and preventative model to health that focuses on preventing issues from occurring again, or even in the first place.