The Ontario government used Earth Day to introduce legislation banning the use and sale of pesticides for cosmetic purposes, taking aim at more than 70 chemicals found in 300 products.

"Our generation has taken to the cosmetic use of pesticides, I think perhaps unwittingly not fully understanding the dangers it represents to ourselves but most importantly to our children," Premier Dalton McGuinty said.

Health advocates applauded the new bill arguing the effects of chemicals on young children and pregnant women can lead to cancer or neurological problems.

The government is currently undergoing consultations to firm up the list of prohibited chemicals but many large retailers have already announced they will stop selling the products and increase the use of alternatives.

"People understand why we are doing this," McGuinty said. "This is going to prove, I believe, overwhelmingly popular."

However, a spokesman for CropLife Canada, the trade association representing the country's pesticide manufacturers, said the province was setting a bad precedent because the products under review have been approved for use by the federal government.