Players from various socioeconomic sectors join forces for the environment

MONTREAL, Jun 29, 2009 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- PROX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- e> << - Partnership to make young people aware about taking concrete action for the environment - Reduction at source movement of plastic bags at PROXIM beginning in September ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attachment: Photos available at 1 pm ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Media Access: ftp://sacs:publ1c-4@ftp.national.ca/pub/sacs Username: presse Password: media ------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>

A concrete step for the environment and for health was taken today as the Quebec Environment Foundation, the group of pharmacist-owners affiliated with PROXIM and PROXIMed, the Direction de santé publique of l'Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal, and Théâtre Parminou joined forces to launch an initiative to motivate young Quebeckers to take concrete action to protect the environment. "Our initiative proposes ways to change behaviours and thereby preserve our environment and our health in a context of sustainable development," said Claude Hill, vice-president and director of the Quebec Environment Foundation.

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    Raising awareness in Quebec schools
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The Quebec Environment Foundation, the Direction de santé publique and the pharmacist-owners affiliated with PROXIM and PROXIMed are teaming up to support a program aimed at more than 65,000 children aged 10 to 14 to impress upon them the importance of protecting the environment by reducing the health impacts of pollution. Beginning in October in Montreal, Théâtre Parminou will embark on a province-wide tour of 250 schools with an interactive play about preserving air quality and its impact on health. A teaching kit for use in the classroom will also be distributed to more than 3,000 teachers so they can continue to build on the awareness generated by the play and encourage students and their friends to take action. "If we can make kids aware of the importance of the quality of their environment, we can convince them of the need to act," said Michel Chartrand, president of PROXIM. "The environment has a major impact on public health. For example, air pollution can exacerbate heart disease and respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema," explained Norman King, epidemiologist with the Direction de santé publique.

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    Air quality: a major concern for the Direction de santé publique
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The Direction de santé publique, which is actively involved in air quality issues, will approve the instructional content developed for teachers by the Quebec Environment Foundation. "We have to give young people ideas and convince them that they can influence their family and friends. We need to give them not only information but examples of how to take action, because any initiative aimed at improving outdoor air quality will help reduce symptoms associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and prevent pollution-related deaths," added Mr. King.

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    First group of pharmacist-owners to eliminate plastic bags
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In addition to supporting this initiative, PROXIM will become the first group of pharmacist-owners to join the movement to reduce the use of plastic bags at source. Beginning September 17, customers shopping at pharmacies owned by PROXIM pharmacist-owners in all regions of Quebec will be encouraged to opt for reusable shopping bags. Plastic bags will cost five cents each, and the money will be donated to the Quebec Environment Foundation. Surveys show that the fact of charging even a small, symbolic amount for plastic bags has a major impact on customer behaviour, reducing bag use by more than 50%. "The young people we are targeting with our environmental and health partners won't be demanding single-use plastic bags in the future," continued Mr. Chartrand.

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    Line Beauchamp applauds initiative
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Line Beauchamp, Quebec's Minister of Sustainable Development , Environment and Parks applauded this initiative, which is in line with the voluntary code of best practices for the use of shopping bags: "There's no doubt this is a great way to reduce the use of plastic bags. We encourage leaders in all sectors across the province to undertake similar projects to improve health and the environment."

Maureen Martineau, Théâtre Parminou's co-artistic director, is the author of the play that will be seen by more than 65,000 students in 250 Quebec schools: "Une planète pour P.O. tells audiences of 10- to 14-year-olds the troubling story of the contagious indifference which we allow to poison us. Pierre-Olivier urges the kids to seek solutions for the toxic situation in his village, where villagers have chosen development and rampant consumption over air quality." A pioneer in interactive theatre for the past 36 years, Théâtre Parminou has presented more than 3,000 performances across Quebec to more than 600,000 young people. The Association Québécoise pour la Promotion de l'Éducation Relative à l'Environnement and the Monique Fitz Back Foundation have also contributed to producing the content of the play and the teaching kit.

SOURCE: QUEBEC ENVIRONMENT FOUNDATION (QEF)

SOURCE: GREEN NEWS

Isabelle Fontaine, (514) 843-2331, Cell: (514) 473-7742, ifontaine@national.ca

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