"Timely and chilling..." Peggy Curran, Montreal Gazette

U.S. anthropologist Elizabeth Guillette learned in 1993 about problems in the Yaqui Valley. As she has written in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives, the valley children are far behind those of the foothills in physical coordination, energy and learning capabilities. The only difference she observed was that pesticides have been used in the valley since the early 1950s, while in the foothills there is no agricultural industry and virtually no pesticide use.

Playing with Poison follows Dr. Guillette as she meets with eminent laboratory scientists in her search for corroboration and possible solutions. Neurotoxicologist David Carpenter of the University of Albany says, "I have suspected for a long time that pesticides cause these effects, but no one has demonstrated it so convincingly."



Grade Level: 9-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2002     Copyright Date: 2001
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-437-0     VHS ISBN: 1-56029-922-3

Reviews "A careful, systematic study of the tragic human toll that results from lacing industrially produced foods with anti-pest poisons." Timothy McGettigan, professor of sociology, University of Southern Colorado "Timely and chilling...explores potentially dangerous side-effects of weed- and bug-killers for children, whether the source is massive aerial spraying on farm crops, your neighbor's weed-killer or household bug-repellent...spotlights ground-breaking work by Elizabeth Guillette, an American anthropologist, nurse, mother, and grandmother." Peggy Curran, The Montreal Gazette "Subtly dramatic and scary...The program has a cogent, thorough account of the unreported dangers of pesticides and their effect on children. Naturally, it's better than any movie." John Doyle, The Globe and Mail "As frightening as it is sad..." Bob Blakely, The Calgary Herald