Breast Cancer Awareness Month-October, 2011---It's Very Personal!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month-October,2011---It's Very Personal!

Breast Cancer Awareness…and Woodsmoke
(October 2, 2011)

In the past, just like many of you, I respectfully and quietly supported the theme and efforts of The Cancer Society to inform the public of Breast Cancer Awareness during the month of October. But, this year, it became even more personal. I have breast cancer. I am thankful to have this opportunity to encourage other women world wide to become informed about the grave danger of air pollution, but more specifically, Woodsmoke… and breast cancer.

Life style choices and genetics play an important factor in breast cancer. But, so does the impact of the air we breathe each day. Being exposed, like I have been over the years, to deadly amounts of Woodsmoke from a neighbour’s wood burning stove, wood-burning devices and outdoor open air burning will make you ill and suffer. Many people have and will die prematurely from Woodsmoke-related illnesses.

In my city of Cornwall, as in many other cities in Canada, leaders sadly, condone, enable and support all wood burning, allowing the deadly cancer causing toxins to infiltrate our homes, lungs and cells.

All women, and men too, should become informed about the direct correlation and association between cancer and Woodsmoke. Scientists, Doctors and environmentalists concur that Woodsmoke is doing grave harm to our health and our fragile environment.

Prohibiting the use of all wood burning in communities across our Nation will save millions of lives from cancer and many other Woodsmoke-related illnesses. We must do that now. Millions of lives were saved when Tobacco bans were implemented and adopted. Woodsmoke is even worse for our health than tobacco smoke. Ending Woodsmoke in urban neighbourhoods in Canada will also save millions of lives from illness, suffering and death from Woodsmoke.

This October we also give thanks to the teams of health care providers who not only administer medical care to the body, but to the spirit and soul of all cancer patients everywhere.

Words of inspiration: “What Cancer Cannot do…. Cancer is so limited, It cannot cripple love, It cannot shatter hope, It cannot corrode faith, It cannot destroy peace, It cannot kill friendship, It cannot suppress memories, It cannot silence courage, It cannot invade the soul, It cannot steal eternal life, It cannot conquer the spirit.” –Author Unknown.

Breathe Healthy Air http://breathehealthyair.blogspot.com/

Clean Air Revival http://burningissues.org/

Canadian Clean Air Alliance http://canadiancleanairalliance.ca

Air is Precious airisprecious@gmail.com

We must have by-laws passed now to prohibit ALL Wood burning in our communities. I hope and pray that no other person-woman, man, or child-ever gets cancer caused by Woodsmoke. But we will, until our elected officials who have disregarded and ignored the harm caused by Woodsmoke (PM2.5) for too long, continue to do nothing to end the suffering of millions. Yes, October Breast Cancer Awareness Month is very, very personal to me…and it should be to you too.

Written by:
Linda Baker Beaudin
Founder, Air is Precious
Cornwall, Ontario, Canada


Webmaster----Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canadian women. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates 23,200 women in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,300 women will die from the disease in 2011.

23,000 women would represent about half the population of the city of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. Sad statistics...5,300 women died prematurely. How many acquired cancer and then died prematurely due to woodsmoke emissions in their community?