For most people, the cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, though most experts agree that PD is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. While we can’t do much about our genetics, we learned in this February’s Expert Q&A with the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Earth Justice how we can advocate for federal legislation that will reduce the risk of certain environmental factors.
One herbicide that has been heavily linked to Parkinson’s is paraquat, a widely used commercial weed killer in the U.S. that is banned in 32 countries, including the European Union and China. Paraquat is thought to increase the risk of of PD by 320 percent.
Organizations like the Michael J. Fox Foundation have made it easy for you to contact your members of Congress about the Protect Against Paraquat Act, which would eliminate paraquat from the U.S. agricultural system.
Taking action when and where you can is one way to promote strong mental health as you continue living with PD. Contacting your lawmakers takes less than ten minutes and it feels good to advocate for yourself and others!
Thank you to our sponsors, Amneal and Kyowa Kirin, and to all of the generous donations that help support BGF Parkinson’s programs.
