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By Kasia Sterniczuk

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The rain seems to have disappeared and we're now taking to the outdoors more than any other time of the year. Parks and playgrounds are bustling with families and tourists, and it can be said that there's no better time to stop and smell the roses. But are the fresh aromas of our city's flowers and the beauty of the lush green grass entirely safe to enjoy? Doctors and health officials are warning that where pesticides have been used to kill weeds and insects, humans and animals may be exposed to serious health risks.

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Many argue that there's enough strong evidence, which exposes the threat and risk of pesticides on health to push the implementation of restrictions on their use. In 2004 the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) released a comprehensive review of pesticide studies. The conclusion of this review was that consistent links exist between exposure to pesticides and serious illnesses, particularly brain, prostate and kidney cancers, leukemia as well as neurological and reproductive problems.

Many leading health organizations including the Canadian Cancer Society, the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and the David Suzuki Foundation among others support the ban of pesticides for cosmetic uses. The bright side? Currently, around 15 million Canadians are benefiting from enhanced protection against unwanted pesticide exposure. In New Brunswick, Shediac, Sackville, Caraquet and Saint Andrews have all adopted pesticide by-laws. Moncton and Saint John both have pesticide bylaws drafted but need a major push to get the issue moving again.

Pesticide use remains a hotly debated topic. To negate the risks many other natural, non-toxic and safe alternatives for lawn maintenance are being encouraged. If you want to take a greener approach with your lawn and garden care, the Sierra Club of Canada suggests the following steps to maintaining green, healthy and non-toxic grass:

1) Set your mower's cutting height to two and a half or three inches, this will discourage invasion by weeds and insects and encourage the growth of longer, healthier roots.

2) Leave grass clippings on the lawn; this mulch will become your lawn's fertilizer thereby reducing the need to add additional fertilizers by 30 per cent.

3) Water deeply about once a week, watering more frequently will encourage shallow, weak roots.

4) Use ecological methods of pest control; spraying a mixture of dish soap and water during warm weather is an effective way to discourage insects from eating your greenery, remove the odd weed by hand and eliminate bare spots by over seeding.

5) Fertilize twice a year if possible with 100 per cent organic fertilize such as compost, rock mineral or bone and blood meal. To learn about other methods visit the Sierra Club of Canada website.

If you prefer to leave your lawn to the professionals, you're still in luck. Most lawn care services offer organic and natural lawn care alternatives that cost relatively the same. Ask and you shall receive.

There's a growing consensus that pesticides are harmful and threatening on the environment and our health thus, it's best to adopt a precautionary approach in our communities. They've been deemed unnecessary for cosmetic use when such a wide number of non-toxic natural alternatives exist to keep our lawns and gardens green. To do your part, try implementing greener alternatives to your lawn and garden care and feel safe to stop and smell the roses.