New Brunswick libraries run out of free radon test kits in one day

New Brunswick’s new program quickly ran out of free radon test kits.

NB Lung is urging the New Brunswick government to quickly restock libraries with the province’s new radon test kits after they ran out of the free kits within a day.

“I am so pleased to see such a good uptake on the first few days of this free radon testing kit program. The immediate response is high and has exceeded our expectations,” said Post Secondary, Training and Labour Minister Jean-Claude D’Amours in an email to CTV Atlantic.

“Anyone who wants a kit will get one as more kits have been ordered. The department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, the New Brunswick Public Library Service (NBPLS) and the Research and Productivity Council are ensuring additional kits are being delivered to replenish quantities,” the email continued.

NB Lung says the government had distributed 2,000 kits to libraries across the province, but the high demand left many New Brunswickers empty-handed.

“NB Lung has seen a dramatic increase in public awareness of the health risks from radon, and a large interest in home radon testing over the past few years,” said Melanie Langille, president and CEO of NB Lung, in a news release Thursday.

“This program is an important first step to preventing preventable lung cancer, but the Government must expand the supply to match the public demand.”

The provincial government announced on Tuesday that it had partnered with the New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council and NB Lung to provide the free kits, which include a 90-day test and information about radon gas, at libraries across the province.

One-in-four New Brunswick homes have high radon levels, with radon exposure being the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada, and the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

“New Brunswickers are eager to understand if their home is one of the 1 in 4 with high levels. It is our hope that the depleted stock at libraries today does not discourage individuals from testing their home,” said Langille.

NB Lung believes more kits will be distributed to New Brunswick libraries, but the timeline hasn’t been made public.

The New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council will analyze the tests and provide the results.

NB Lung is also calling on the province to support mitigation for homes with high radon levels.

“This is a great first step. Just as importantly, we want to see progress on the government’s commitment to exploring ways to support individuals with radon mitigation,” said Langille. “Testing identifies the risk, but mitigation fixes it.”

The charity notes ventilation systems can reduce radon levels by more than 80 per cent, with many systems costing between $1,500 and $3,000. However, the cost can be significantly higher for more complex cases, leaving some residents without the means to install them.

“We’ve been advocating for years to remove the financial barriers that stand between New Brunswickers and understanding whether their home has high levels of radon,” Langille said.

However, businesses that sell radon test kits say they have been put in a tricky situation.

“This is the first province in the country to offer free testing to the public. But as a business owner…. It’s put us in a weird position that now I have to compete with a free test kit where mine that I’ve already bought cost money," said Jeff LeBlanc, President of Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST) and owner of Radon Repair in Moncton.

LeBlanc said there is more to the process than just giving out a test kit, the CARST offer a service.

“We all want to be excited for this because it’s such a positive thing. But unfortunately that roll out seems to be having its complications... we’re there to help the government…. we offer a service,“ said LeBlanc.

“A care professional comes to your house, teaches you about radon, answers your questions, sets it up in the right place, and then comes back three months later and picks it up, all for $99. So there are there are different service levels of a radon test kit. And it’s not just buying it and then doing it yourself.”

Health Canada describes radon as a radioactive gas that occurs naturally when the uranium in soil and rock breaks down. It is invisible, odourless and tasteless. High radon levels in homes can have a negative impact on a person’s health.

-With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Josh Smith

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