Consumers Association Penang - CAP

18/10/2026

CHILDREN AT HIGHER RISK OF LEAD POISONING

Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer permanent adverse health impacts, particularly on the development of the central nervous system.

Children’s bodies can absorb up to 5 times more ingested lead than adults’ bodies. Kids constantly touch objects and put their hands and toys in their mouths, and thus easily swallow lead from contaminated soil, dust and toys.

Most lead poisoning in children results from eating chips of deteriorating lead-based paint. Old lead paint will chip or peel and can get into household dust or soil (if the paint is on the outside of homes or buildings). Children may also peel the lead paint chips off the wall, windowsill, etc. or pick them up off the floor and eat them because lead tastes sweet!

Due to their innate curiosity and frequent hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth behaviours, and their high risk of exposure to lead-contaminated dust, soil and paint, protecting children from lead poisoning is crucial.

17/10/2026

PROTECT OUR LIVING LEGENDS

A centuries-old tree is not blocking urban progress; it is evidence of what existed before it.

Old trees are living memories, natural shelters, and gifts from generations before us.

These trees stand tall, giving quietly, protecting endlessly. They remind us of nature's endurance, and protection.

Treat the oldest trees as urban heritage, not obstacles waiting for removal.

Protect the giants of our cities; keep them standing. Concrete can rise again but trees' lost years cannot.

Urban progress should make room for life, not erase it.

Source: INature

17/10/2026

NO SAFE LEVEL OF EXPOSURE TO LEAD

Lead is an invisible health threat and children can be exposed without showing any obvious symptoms. As such, the damage to their developing brain and nervous system may be already taking place.

According to the WHO, lead exposure affects an estimated 815 million children worldwide.
No level of exposure to lead is considered safe by the WHO. High levels can severely damage the brain and even cause death, while low levels can permanently impair children’s cognitive function and bodily systems.

Because there is no safe level for lead, preventing childhood exposure to prevent lead poisoning is important.

16/10/2026

BANKS ARE FINANCING HARM, says new global report

Top Malaysian banks score high on sustainability policy; but severe haze is prompting calls for regulation to level the playing field.

According to a new global Forests & Finance coalition report, "Banking on Biodiversity Collapse 2026", the financial sector continues to bankroll the very factors driving the
Southeast Asian crisis — clearing of forests, degradation of peatlands and violation of community rights — highlighting the critical need for strict financial regulations.

Due to poor standards and no regulatory enforcement, banks continue to finance companies operating in sectors linked to deforestation, peatland destruction, fires, haze and abuses of indigenous peoples’ rights.

- Sahabat Alam Malaysia in a press release (15 October 2026)

Full statement here:
https://consumer.org.my/new-global-report-finds-top-malaysian-banks-score-high-on-sustainability-policy-but-severe-haze-is-prompting-calls-for-regulation-to-level-the-playing-field/

16/10/2026

PREVENT LEAD POISONING IN CHILDREN

The week of 18-24 October 2026 is International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. The aim of this campaign – held every year in October – is to draw attention to the health impacts of lead exposure, prevent childhood lead exposure, and accelerate efforts to phase out the use of lead in paint.

Even though there is increased recognition of the harmful effects of lead and many countries have taken action, exposure to lead, particularly in childhood, remains a major concern worldwide.

Lead Is Harmful to Children

Lead is toxic, especially to children. Exposure to lead can seriously impair a child's health, causing harmful effects that may persist throughout their lives.

The harmful health effects include damage to the brain and nervous system, and slowed growth and development. Children may also have learning and behaviour problems, and hearing and speech problems.

Lead paint is a major source of lead exposure globally, causing irreparable and lifelong harm to children’s growth, development, and health.

Lead hazards must be removed from products and the environment before they harm children. Banning lead paint is a key priority.

16/10/2026

Does plastic litter upset you? Are you looking for ways to reduce the use of plastic? Or do you wonder, what's the big deal about plastic?

Either way, we have the perfect workshop for you!

⁉️ Generation Plastic: What They Don't Want Us to Know⁉️
📆 24 Oct 2026 (Saturday)
⏰️ 9.30am - 2pm (inclusive of lunch)
📍 Studio 1, The 1ncubator, Level 1, PJPAC, 1 Utama E, 1Utama Shopping Centre

Register here by 21 October: https://tinyurl.com/GenPlastic

Plastic isn't just a waste problem—it's a design failure.

This workshop will feature a screening of "One Man’s Trash", a powerful short film by British filmmaker Bertie Gibbs exposing how Malaysia became a dumping ground for global plastic waste.

The film will be followed by a fast-paced Plastic Audit Challenge to enable participants to trace the true footprint of everyday items.

Together, we’ll uncover how inconvenient plastic actually is, how it secretly impacts our health, and map out real solutions that actually work beyond the recycling bin.

This workshop will be facilitated by Jayne Lee, the founder of Minimize Zero Waste Store.

Come, connect with fellow youth, and unpackage the plastic problem, layer by layer, while having some fun!

We are collaborating with FreedomFilmFest for this event. Find out more about FFF here:
https://freedomfilm.my/fff2026/

Organised by: Consumers Association Penang - CAP , Sahabat Alam Malaysia - SAM , C4 Center , Zero Waste Malaysia , Greenpeace Malaysia , Basel Action Network

16/10/2026

Want a Healthy Heart? Eat More Greens

There are a lot of healthy foods that you can work into your diet to improve your heart health. Some of the best foods for heart health are dark leafy greens.

A 2021 study in the European Journal of Epidemiology reported that leafy green vegetables may potentially lower the risk of heart disease.

The study examined over 53,000 participants over the course of 23 years. Researchers found that participants who ate more leafy green veggies saw a 12-26% lower risk of heart disease.

What is it about vegetables, and leafy greens in particular, that makes them so good at protecting your heart? Researchers involved in the above study believe there may be a connection to the nitrate present in those leafy greens.

Nitrate gets turned into nitric oxide when your body digests the veggies, and that in turn relaxes and expands your blood vessels. This can potentially help lower blood pressure, an effect that the researchers saw in those who ate one cup of greens or more daily.

“Eating green for your heart is next level,” says the American Heart Association. “Green foods – especially leafy greens, avocados and vegetables – are loaded with fibre, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. In a heart-healthy eating pattern, green foods can help lower cholesterol, support healthy blood vessels and reduce overall cardiovascular risk.”

Remember to pack your plate daily with more leafy green veggies. Your heart will thank you for it.

Source: Green Eating magazine; American Heart Association

(Pictures from American Heart Association)

15/10/2026

15/10/2026

Global Asbestos Campaign Wins in Brazil

The Brazilian Supreme Court has confirmed that Brazil’s 2017 ban on asbestos includes mining asbestos for export. Brazil now joins Canada as a large former producer of chrysotile asbestos, which has banned chrysotile from being mined, exported, used, or manufactured into asbestos-containing materials. With this decision, only Russia, Kazakhstan, and China remain major producers of chrysotile asbestos.

In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that a Goiás state law from 2019, which allowed asbestos mining to continue, was unconstitutional and contravened a national prohibition the court put in place in 2017. As reported by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), the decision confirmed that the asbestos ban is inviolable and absolute, and declared the Goiás law unconstitutional.

Speaking to the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), Fernanda Giannasi, the Cofounder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), said: “Our suffering is over. It is a victory for the fierce and resilient struggle of the victims of asbestos and the entities united for this cause…While we celebrate the hard-won victory of the definitive ban on asbestos, the lethal fibre, we also lament the thousands of victims whose lives were cut short by the irresponsibility of companies in the immense production chain of this carcinogenic mineral.”

In remarks also made to IBAS, Adriana Augusta de Moura Souza, the President of the National Association of Labour Prosecutors (ANPT), said that the court’s decision reaffirmed Brazil’s commitment to recognising the dangers of asbestos and protecting people from its impacts: “We are talking about a substance (asbestos) that is recognised as harmful and an issue that directly involves the life, integrity, and protection of those who work with it. ANPT has always maintained that economic interests cannot override fundamental rights. The decision reaffirms this commitment and also aligns with international norms and guidelines that mandate preventive action in the face of exposure to agents of proven risk, such as asbestos.”

CAP salutes the tireless efforts of Brazilian victims, activists, and allied organisations whose resilience made this victory possible. Their struggle echoes the experiences of communities worldwide who have suffered from asbestos exposure. Malaysia must take heed. Asbestos is a proven carcinogen, and any continued use or trade perpetuates preventable harm. CAP calls on the Malaysian government to impose a comprehensive ban and ensure asbestos is eliminated from all supply chains.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA salutes the years of tireless work and efforts by activists and people affected by asbestos in Brazil and around the world who brought about this result, stating that without their hard work, this decision would have been impossible. In its congratulatory message, Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA hailed the ruling as an amazing victory, describing it as another nail in the coffin of global asbestos production.

Indeed, this ruling is not only a triumph for Brazil but also a beacon for global justice.

Original report by Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA here:
https://apheda.org.au/global-asbestos-campaign-wins-in-brazil/

14/10/2026