National campaign educates on reducing risks from agricultural pesticide exposure
WASHINGTON, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- With public service messages on radio, digital and social media, Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) / La Red Hispana, in partnership with the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), launched a campaign this week to educate and raise awareness among the large number of Hispanic families who work in the fields on the risks of pesticide residues.
The national multimedia campaign coincides with National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW), featuring calls to action designed to help reduce the risk of contamination from pesticide contact among agricultural workers, their families and the general public.
National Farmworker Awareness Week consists of community actions that draw attention to the many challenges facing farmworkers, and also highlights and honors their important contributions. Farmworkers feed us, but their work is one of the hardest and most dangerous.
Scientific studies show that agricultural pesticide residues adhere to clothing, body and footwear. Pesticides are nearly impossible to detect because they are invisible and often odorless.
It is estimated that approximately 1 billion pounds of pesticides are applied on farms, forests, courtyards and golf courses in the U.S. each year. Even limited residue exposure can have long-terms affects on the brain of children.
This year, the campaign will donate long-sleeved shirts to farmworkers as a tool to better protect themselves against the dangers of exposure to pesticides and heat.
It also includes a series of practical tips in Spanish pesticide handlers and agricultural workers can take to reduce the risk of contact and accidental exposure to pesticides.
One recommendation is for farmworkers to change their work clothes and put on clean clothes as quickly as possible after work, especially before arriving home and having contact with their partners or children. It is also recommended to always leave boots outside the home, take a bath with soap and water, and wash one's hair thoroughly.
The campaign offers a variety of informational resources on necessary precautions for workers, their families and people who handle pesticides as part of their job responsibilities.
"HCN has conducted several awareness campaigns about the risks of handling pesticides. Most agricultural workers in the U.S. are of Hispanic origin, making it critical for this potentially life-saving information to be directly delivered to workers in the fields via radio and mobile phones, and in Spanish," said HCN President Alison Rodden.
The campaign will continue until March 31 through HCN's radio station affiliates, and via HCN's La Red Hispana Facebook channel.
About Hispanic Communications Network -La Red Hispana-
Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) is the leading communication service in the U.S. dedicated to the production and distribution of educational and informative content for the Hispanic community in the United States. HCN is positioned to provide its government and non-profit clients and partners with effective solutions when producing and distributing media campaigns focused on the service and generation of well-being within U.S. Hispanic communities. To learn more visit: hcnmedia.com or laredhispana.com.
Contact: Mercy Padilla
(202) 360-4112
[email protected]
SOURCE Hispanic Communications Network
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