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Editorial: Is slipping on weeds really that big a hazard?

Some of us remember as youngsters happily spending hours making daisy chains in the school fields.
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Are weeds really all that slippery?

That’s the question that immediately sprang to mind when the Citizen heard from the school district that they sprayed with pesticide (or herbicide) a field at Drinkwater Elementary School recently because weeds create a “slipping hazard”.

The school district’s explanation really does beg the question: is slipping due to weeds really that much of a problem?

Some of us remember as youngsters happily spending hours making daisy chains in the school fields. Or marvelling over the reflective yellow of a buttercup flower on our hands. And, of course, blowing the seeds off the top of dandelions. Does anyone recall slipping on these weeds and getting injured? More than just on regular grass, dirt, or gravel? Can’t say we’ve ever heard of such a thing. The notion invites skepticism.

And even if a kid were to slip on a weed (not really sure how you’d determine they didn’t just slip on lawn, but for the sake of argument let’s go with it), what is the potential harm? Children fall all the time. Many have perpetually skinned knees for the entirety of their childhood.

Whereas, what are the risks with spraying pesticides?

The skull and crossbones on the warnings that were placed at the field after spraying tell the tale well enough of the immediate risks to people or animals that come in contact with the affected area within a certain timeframe of the spray being applied. The worry is, of course, that folks won’t see, or in the case of children and animals, understand the signs and put themselves at risk from direct exposure.

Those with properties around the sprayed fields also have legitimate concerns about the integrity of their food gardens and such. Drift can be a real problem.

Perhaps it’s time for the school board to take a look at the policy that dictates this kind of spraying and reconsider.