Where There Is No Doctor 2011 413
Laws are needed to prohibit the most dangerous pesticides and to provide clear
warnings. Unfortunately, after governments in industrialized countries limited the use
of many pesticides, chemical manufacturers began to sell their dangerous products
to developing countries, where laws are less strict.
Some of the most dangerous pesticides are aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, chlordane,
heptachlor, DDT, DBCP, HCH, BHC, ethylene dibromide (EDB), paraquat, parathion,
agent orange (2-4D with 2-4-5T), camphechlor (toxaphene), poentachlorophenyl
(PCP), and chlordimeform. It is very important to read carefully the labels of
pesticide containers. Be sure to read the small print, because the pesticide may not
be part of the brand name.
WARNING: If you use any pesticide, take the following precautions:
♦ Mix chemicals and load spray equipment carefully.
♦ Stand so that wind blows spray away from you.
♦ Wear protective clothing, covering the whole body.
♦ Wash hands before eating.
♦ Wash the whole body and
change clothes immediately after
Be sure tank
does not
leak.
spraying.
♦ Wash clothes after spraying.
♦ Do not let wash water get into
drinking supply.
♦ Be sure containers with
pesticides are clearly marked,
and kept out of children’s reach.
Do not use pesticide containers
for food or water.
mask and glasses
gloves
clothes that
cover arms
and legs
boots (not
sandals)
CAUTION: Make sure that children, and women who are
pregnant or breastfeeding, stay away from all pesticides.
Treatment for pesticide poisoning:
♦ If the person is not breathing, quickly do mouth-to-mouth breathing (see
p. 80).
♦ Follow instructions on p. 103 to make the person vomit, and to give powdered
charcoal (or egg whites) to soak up the poison inside the gut. But do not
make the person vomit if you do not know what kind of pesticide he was
using, or if he swallowed a pesticide with gasoline, kerosene, xylene, or other
‘petroleum‑based’ liquids.
♦ Remove any pesticide-soaked clothing, and wash skin exposed to pesticide.
The above steps can help to treat the immediate problem
of pesticide poisoning. But solving the underlying problem
will require:
1. Education for avoiding the most dangerous pesticides,
and laws to restrict their use.
2. Farm workers organizing to insist their rights are
protected, and safety hazards are corrected.
3. Fairer land distribution.