Prevention Starts At Home: Test Your Home For Radon With A Free Test Kit & Protect Your Family From Lung Cancer
RIVERVIEW (N.B.) – The Town of Riverview is pleased to be working with Take Action on Radon, a coalition of national health organizations, to raise awareness on the dangers of radon gas.
We are inviting residents to participate in the 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge which is a program that provides free radon test kits. All participants in the program are encouraged to attend the virtual Radon Information Session on January 26th to learn more about the health effects of radon, why it’s a concern in our area, and Health Canada recommendations. The online information session will also provide all participants with details on where and when to pick up their free radon detector.
The leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, radon gas can be found in elevated concentrations in homes across the country. While Canada has had a National Radon Plan for over a decade, many Canadians remain unaware of the deadly gas.
“On average 58 Canadians will die from lung cancer every day, making it the leading cause of cancer death in Canada,” says Lynn Murad, Cancer Prevention Specialist, Canadian Cancer Society. “It’s important that Canadians know they can control their risk from radon by testing their homes and reducing their exposure.”
“This program is a great way to raise awareness in our community and get Riverview residents engaged in testing for radon,” explained Mayor Andrew J. LeBlanc. “We are all spending more time at home over the past few years, and so it’s never been more important to understand the risk factors and reduce radon levels. By making test kits more accessible, we’re ensuring that residents can start testing as early as next week.”
“Radon is a well-established human carcinogen and testing and reducing radon levels is an important method of lung cancer prevention.” says Dr. Anne-Marie Nicol, a researcher from the Faculty of Sciences from Simon Fraser University, “Residential radon is marked as Canadians' primary exposure to radon; preventing radon exposure will reduce the number of Canadians dying of lung cancer.”
‘Testing for radon is simple to do, and there are effective solutions available to reduce radon levels in homes where radon levels are elevated,” says Pam Warkentin, Executive Director of CARST and Project Manager, Take Action on Radon. “The first step is to know your radon level. Every home needs to test for radon – it’s that simple.”
For citizens of Riverview now is the perfect time to Take Action on Radon. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the program.
Here are the details:
Virtual Radon Information Session, January 26 at 7 p.m. – Participants can register online and will receive a zoom link or can choose to watch live through Facebook. Participants will be able to pick up their radon test from January 26th through February 3rd as supplies last from Riverview Fire and Rescue, 650 Pinewood Road Monday to Friday 8:30-4:30pm.
About Take Action on Radon
Take Action on Radon is a national initiative that works to bring together radon stakeholders and raise radon awareness across Canada. The initiative is led by the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST) and the Canadian Cancer Society.
To learn more about radon and how to test your home, visit: TakeActionOnRadon.ca
To schedule an interview with a representative, please contact: Pam Warkentin, info@takeactiononradon.ca or 204-798-9649