moved for leave to introduce Bill C-366, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (substances in menstrual tampons).

Mr. Speaker, today is a special day. It is the culmination of the Create your Canada contest in my riding. I want to give credit to two students from my riding, Isha Courty-Stephens and Hana Reid, who are both in Ottawa today to witness the introduction of their bill.

Every year, millions of Canadians use menstrual products without readily accessible information about the risks to human health of the substances contained within them. There is a lack of adequate research on the side effects and possible dangers of certain common ingredients in tampons and certain undisclosed ingredients that have been labelled as possibly carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. Many tampon companies have also included harmful ingredients, such as fragrance, bleach, aluminum, alcohol and hydrocarbons.

Today, I am very proud to rise and table this bill, an act to amend the Food and Drugs Act regarding substances in menstrual tampons. This enactment would amend the Food and Drugs Act to provide that labels on menstrual tampons must include a list of the substances they contain. The bill would increase awareness around menstrual products and the ingredients used in tampons. I think there is a strong will in Parliament to strengthen labelling requirements for these products to increase transparency and to better allow Canadians to make informed choices about the menstrual products they purchase.

I want to congratulate both Hana and Isha and recognize them for their work on this issue and for being the driving force behind this bill.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Alistair MacGregor

$600,966.00