Banned from Saturday, September 1, neonicotinoids will still be allowed in certain products, such as flea collars for dogs and cats. This, with precautions for use. Is there all the same danger for humans?
We know neonicotinoids as agricultural pesticides, used to rid crops of caterpillars, aphids or other insects, but also killers ofslow bees. From Saturday September 1 they will be banned in France, according to a amendment of the biodiversity law which thus comes into force.
Only these neurotoxic insecticides will remain in our daily life. And more particularly in the daily life of our pets.
About fifty veterinary products concerned
If we look closely, neonicotinoids will still be present in fifty veterinary products. In reality, it is for phytosanitary use that they are prohibited. We will therefore find them in anti-flea collars for dogs and cats, but also in gels against cockroaches, in baits against ants and other stickers against flies.
“A hole in the racket” for François Veillerette, president of the NGO Future generations. “Chronic exposure of people, especially young children or pregnant women to neurotoxicants cannot be good news for the human brain,” he continues.
No harmful effect on health?
Obviously, humans are much less sensitive to the doses to which insects are sensitive. But the effects of these products on humans are not yet clear.
Thus, a report published last February by theNational health security agency (ANSES) ensures that the data available to date “do not show any harmful effect on human health, in compliance with the conditions of use set in the marketing authorizations”.
Read the instructions carefully
And besides, what are these precautions for use? For example, washing your hands after applying a fly sticker. Or not to let your dog or cat sleep in the bed if he is wearing a flea collar. What is to be feared is that very few people read the instructions for use.
“Unfortunately, every year we still have people who use veterinary antiparasitics to treat lice in children,” said Françoise Weber, Deputy Director General for Regulated Products at ANSES.
.
