Res. No. 1467 Title Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Health to launch a massive public education campaign, especially in neighborhoods with a high incidence of cockroaches and asthma, regarding potentially lethal pesticides illegally used and sold in New York City, such as Tres Pasitos, Chinese Chalk, and Tempo. Body By Council Members Foster, Carrion, Espada, Freed, Henry and Perkins; also Council Members Clarke, Eisland, Fisher, Leffler, Michels, Quinn, Sabini and Spigner Whereas, While pesticides such as Tres Pasitos and Chinese Chalk are illegal for use in New York State, they are commonly sold and used in New York City neighborhoods; and Whereas, Dr. Steven Frantz of the New York State Health Department has discussed the fatal potential of these pesticides, stating "My concern is that you could eat it and die" (Robert Worth, U.S. Checking Illegal Pesticide Sales in Poor Areas, The New York Times, June 13, 2000); and Whereas, The pesticide Tempo, while legal, can only be used in New York State by licensed exterminators, but is commonly being used in New York City neighborhoods by unlicensed persons who use 200 to 400 times the recommended dosage; and Whereas, Cyfluthrin, the active ingredient in Tempo, can be lethal if ingested; and Whereas, The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has conclusively proven that a relationship exists between exposure to cockroaches and the aggravation of symptoms in asthmatic children; and Whereas, New York City children are hospitalized for asthma-related illnesses at more than four times the national rate, according to the Children's Health Fund, and the highest-risk areas include the South Bronx, upper Manhattan, and central and northern Brooklyn, where between 8.6 and 14% of all children have asthma, compared to a national rate of 6% (Robert Worth, U.S. Checking Illegal Pesticide Sales in Poor Areas, The New York Times, June 13, 2000); and Whereas, Illegal pesticides such as Chinese Chalk and Tres Pasitos are widely sold and used in neighborhoods that have a high incidence of cockroaches and asthma, thereby creating a risk of accidental poisoning of both humans and animals; and Whereas, There are many alternative methods of pest control that are safe, effective, and environmentally sound, including applying boric acid powder, sealing and caulking outlets, practicing good sanitation, and using legal pesticides in a careful and controlled manner; and Whereas, The United States Environmental Protection Agency has been investigating the sale and use of illegal pesticides in New York City and New Jersey over the past year, and is planning a public campaign to warn New Yorkers about the dangers of these pesticides; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York City Department of Health to launch a massive public education campaign, especially in neighborhoods with a high incidence of cockroaches and asthma, regarding potentially lethal pesticides illegally used and sold in New York City, such as Tres Pasitos, Chinese Chalk, and Tempo. LS#3183 JM:ts 07/25/00