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Post by Mary on Dec 3, 2006 12:15:03 GMT -5
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Post by Mary on Dec 17, 2006 17:54:31 GMT -5
VACCINES SHOW SINISTER SIDE (Georgia Straight - Canada - By Pieta Woolley ) (From the General Issues section) If two dozen once-jittery mice at UBC are telling the truth postmortem, the world's governments may soon be facing one hell of a lawsuit. New, so-far-unpublished research led by Vancouver neuroscientist Chris Shaw shows a link between the aluminum hydroxide used in vaccines, and symptoms associated with Parkinson's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), and Alzheimer's. Release: March 23, 2006 www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=16717
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Post by Mary on Dec 17, 2006 17:56:22 GMT -5
New Research Suggests Link Between Vaccine Ingredients & Autism, ADHD
(From the Autism section)
According to new research, there is an apparent link between exposure to certain neurodevelopmental toxins and an increased likelihood of developing neurological disorders such as autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Click Here For The Full Story
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Post by Mary on Dec 17, 2006 17:57:56 GMT -5
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Post by Mary on Dec 17, 2006 18:05:14 GMT -5
Vaccinations harmed kids Lawyer files class-action lawsuit. By ROXANNE GREGORY -- Canadian Press; canoe.ca www.vran.org/news-art/news/news_files/bkg-news-lawyerfilessuit24.htm Only Quebec pays out for vaccine injuries In Canada, only the Quebec government compensates people who suffer severe injuries from vaccines. The little-known program, a form of no-fault insurance, is held up as a model by public-health officials around the world. www.vran.org/news-art/news/news_files/Health.htm Flu vaccination linked to muscle-wasting disease (From the Influenza section) Five people in Japan suffered Guillain-Barre syndrome -- a disorder of progressive muscle weakness -- after receiving influenza vaccinations between January 2000 and April 2002, health ministry officials said Sunday www.vran.org/news-art/news/news_files/flu667.html
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Post by m on Dec 17, 2006 18:08:47 GMT -5
Aftermath of Hepatitis B Shots
By Lucia Morgan
It's been nearly three years since I became chronically ill. I can tell you the day and the hour it began.
It was shortly after I received my second hepatitis B shot. I had recently completed a master's degree. Six months after the shot, I could barely read.
I had trouble following TV shows. I missed puns and couldn't pick up on social cues. Anything but a few minutes of a simple conversation left me hopelessly confused.
Before this my lifestyle was active and varied. I worked full-time, renovated my home, swam, canoed, practiced Tai Chi and did black and white photography. Now I could barely look after myself. My morning shower left me exhausted. It was all I could do to make my own meals.
My sleep was so shallow, I didn't know if I was thinking or dreaming: when I was awake I felt barely conscious. I couldn't drive or go to a movie, let alone work. I was plagued with joint pain, fevers, intense chills, intestinal problems, constant exhaustion and difficulty speaking. At times I thought I was dying.
I developed flu symptoms immediately after my first shot. This should have been a warning, but I had started a new job and assumed I was run down from stress. I should have been tested at this time to see whether I had "sero-converted" (developed resistance to hepatitis B). Failure to sero-convert indicates that further vaccination is dangerous (three shots are necessary to complete the series). My condition may have been much milder if I'd known to request testing. (It is possible to pre-test an individual prior to receiving serum from a bad batch, but it can certainly reduce risks.)
The extensive fatigue I experienced does not result from lack of conditioning as my insurance company would like to think. Exhaustion comes from certain areas of the brain being overloaded; to compensate for the damage, they have taken over functions they weren't designed to perform. When overworked, thy start to shut down. It is nearly impossible to keep going.
In the first year of my recovery, neural pathways were rerouted; this accounts for some of my initial progress. Acupuncture, a yeast-free diet, oil of evening primrose and an individualized vitamin regimen all helped me make further gains. But now, three years later, only minimal improvement is probable. I do learn more ways to maximize my energy as time goes by, but the brain damage I have is irreversible. And pushing myself past my limits only worsens the condition. (top)
Starting Over
My physician diagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome. Three months later he found me a specialist whose focus was nutrition, vitamin supplements and strengthening the immune system. With much persistence, I obtained long-term disability benefits and was able to stay in my tiny, manageable one-bedroom house. My children were grown. I was in a supportive relationship and most people did not question my diagnosis
I made slow but steady recovery for a year, then plateaued. My doctors were missing an important factor: the impact of the hepatitis shots. They thought it was merely a trigger - "the straw that broke the camel's back."
My chiropractor saw it differently. Her profession has heightened concern regarding vaccinations. After much searching, she put me in touch with the Nightingale Foundation in Ottawa where Dr. Byron Hyde was researching cases of CFS induced by hepatitis shots. I am not an isolated case, though health authorities would have you believe otherwise.
Problems with hepatitis shots have been noted in Canada since at least 1990. Over 50 health care workers in Hull, Quebec had acute reactions, forcing them to leave work, many never to fully recover. One went deaf, another blind and a third fell into a coma and died. It took me many months to make contact with the foundation and obtain an appointment. The government has continually refused to fund this research and resources are extremely limited. Out of 1,000 people that present themselves yearly, only 30 or 40 can be taken on as patients. And it is not as if the evidence of suffering or damage is unclear or obscure. It can be established by a properly administered brain SPECT scan.
It was this scan that provided me with the most crushing of diagnoses since becoming ill: permanent brain damage. In my case, when I received the inoculations, my body formed no antibodies. Instead, the substance attacked my central nervous system. I was asked if I'd ever had electro-shock treatments. Apparently my brain scan showed this type of damage.
Today I am somewhat better. I can read simple novels, go for short walks, do a bit of writing and some of my own housework. I still have bad headaches, frequent flu symptoms, persistent fatigue and find that physical exertion greatly depletes my intellectual capacity. My energy level is probably one-eight of what it was when I was well.
Targeted Teens
It is hard for me to imagine what it must be like for the grade seven Ontario students inoculated over the last four years! If they became as ill as I did, then their futures would be greatly compromised. I wonder how many of them are being accused of using drugs, or being lazy and unmotivated , when they are in fact suffering the ravages of hepatitis shots?
Though a 1986 Ontario law requires that patients be informed of the vaccine's dangers beforehand, the student consent form states only that the hepatitis vaccine might cause mild side effects such as slight fever, sore arm and tiredness for a day or so. They do not mention brain damage, loss of faculties or death. Nor do they warn that the vaccine can trigger any of the multiple viruses in our systems that we fight off every minute of the day.
I feel grave concern for all those young students that are vulnerable to the damage I have suffered. And for them, the ravages will be far worse.
I am able to write this article because my learning was not arrested in adolescence. This is when much of our social and intellectual development takes place. Though I am slow to process information and can write only for sort stints, I know how to problem-solve, to set and peruse long-term goals and have the self-esteem to take risks. I've learned these skills from experiencing the normal successes and stresses of adult like. At grade seven, children have barely begun to develop these capacities.
By starting at a high level of functioning, I have paid a price. Testing arranged by my insurance company has found me "cognitively and psychologically fit for daily living and full-time employment." The fact I am so physically impaired that I can barely take care of my daily living needs, let alone work, has been flagrantly disregarded. My long-term disability benefits are now in dispute. I may be forced to apply for welfare and am in danger of losing my home.
Knowing what I know now, I would never have had the inoculations. They have narrowed my potential, my future, my life. In the meantime, I try to make the best of my situation and warn others of the danger.
Note:
With appreciation to Lucia Morgan for kindly permitting us to reprint her story, originally published in 1997 in Alive Magazine, issue # 188. Because of her vaccine induced brain injury, it took Lucia 6 months to write this story. She says "Because I'm not well enough to write every day, when I CAN work , I am very slow. In spite of this, I try to write a couple of times a week. Now, after keeping at it over the last seven years, I have managed to complete two dozen short pieces that I am assembling into a book. It's called A SMALLER, RICHER LIFE: LONG TERM ILLNESS, A CHANCE TO GROW". Lucia hopes to have this book completed by the fall of 2002.
****UPDATE*** Lucia Morgan launched a critically important vaccine damage lawsuit in Toronto, Canada on March 6, 2006, regarding the hepatitis B vaccine she was required to get in 1994 as a condition of employment by a provincialy run community centre which resulted in severe and irreversible brain damage.
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Post by Mary on Dec 17, 2006 18:16:41 GMT -5
GENERAL VACCINE ISSUES: MERCURY IN VACCINES Health Canada's website states that: "In Canada, the only thimerosal-containing vaccine included in the regular childhood vaccination schedule is hepatitis B vaccine. Other routine childhood vaccines such as those for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and PentacelTM (for diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and inactivated polio) do not contain thimerosal as a preservative. Hence, Canadian infants are not subject to the same cumulative level of mercury exposure due to vaccine during the first 6 months of life as American infants. There are no scientific data to indicate harm related to the level of exposure to mercury in thimerosal-containing hepatitis B vaccines. Therefore, NACI does not recommend any alteration to the current infant vaccination policies." www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/99vol25/25sup/acs7.html English www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/99vol25/25sup/dcc7.html French Canadian Communicable Disease Report PDF English & French Canadian health authorities quietly replaced the old mercury containing vaccines given to infants, with two mercury free vaccines, PENTA- 4 vaccines in one (1994) and Pentacel - 5 vaccines in one(1997). The absence of scientific data to prove or disprove harm done to children who have been exposed to dangerous levels of mercury via injectible vaccines is of little consolation to parents whose children were injected with unacceptably high levels of this nerve poison prior to 1994, and who now suffer from neurological disabilities "The most likely sources of the mercury are maternal dental fillings, maternal fish consumption, consumer products (eye drops, nasal sprays, others), Rho-gam shot, Influenza vaccine during pregnancy, and childhood vaccines. The increase in autism appears to correlate with the increased use of vaccinations. In children who are fully vaccinated, by the sixth month of life they have received more mercury from vaccines than recommended by the EPA. There are many similarities in symptoms between mercury toxicity and autism, including social deficits, language deficits, repetitive behaviors, sensory abnormalities, cognition deficits, movement disorders, and behavioral problems. There are also similarities in physical symptoms, including biochemical, gastrointestinal, muscle tone, eurochemistry, neurophysiology, EEG measurements, and immune system/autoimmunity." (quoted from notes (part 3), taken at the recent DAN! - Defeat Autism Now Conference - Oct./01) The devastating effects of mercury poisoning are well documented and have been known since the 1930's. To protect their unborn infants from mercury poisoning, pregnant women are advised against eating shellfish and other species of fish contaminated with high levels of mercury and are cautioned about the risks of mercury containing dental amalgam fillings, yet health officials encourage pregnant women to receive flu vaccine injections which contain thimerosal, a mercury compound that can cross the placenta and affect the growing fetus. For health officials to approve and promote the injection of vaccines which contain neurotoxins that have the potential to injure and destroy the immature brain and nervous system of human infants is tantamount to criminal negligence. Other important websites to explore include: In depth Information on Mercury Toxicity - Dr. Boyd Haley www.altcorp.com/DentalInformation/thimerosal.htmwww.safeminds.orgwww.safeminds.orgAutism Research Institute/Mercury Detoxification www.autism.com/ari/mercurydetox.htmlDr. Stephanie Cave, MD treats children suffering from autism spectrum disorders and has recently released a new book - "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations"
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Post by Mary on Dec 18, 2006 12:00:36 GMT -5
Internal company documents show that Eli Lilly concealed information about side effects of its schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, The New York Times said Saturday.
The Times said it received the documents and e-mails from a lawyer representing patients who have used Zyprexa. They show that the company was warned as early as 1999 that Zyprexa's side effects for many patients included weight gain and an increase in blood sugar, both risk factors for diabetes.
About 2 million people worldwide used Zyprexa last year, spending a total of $4.2 billion. The drug is the company's biggest moneymaker.
In 1999, Dr. Alan Breier, now Lilly's chief medical officer, told more than 20 employees he was setting up an executive committee to study the side effects of olanzapine, the chemical name for Zyprexa.
"Olanzapine-associated weight gain and possible hyperglycemia is a major threat to the long-term success of this critically important molecule," he said in an e-mail.
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Post by Mary on Dec 19, 2006 10:04:41 GMT -5
Why Signing a Waiver to Avoid Vaccines Can Be Considered Abuse by Anai Rhoads Ford Recently, the Washington post printed an article about vaccine waivers that could jeopardise your parental rights: "The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that doctors ask parents who refuse to vaccinate their children to sign a waiver indicating they are aware of the risks of refusal." Note: Despite that vaccines have been linked to asthma, autism, diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome, the author implies that parents are being overly theatrical about the shots. Know Your Rights By endorsing this particular waiver, parents would essentially be signing an admittance of neglect and or "abuse" for refusing vaccines. The language contained in this waiver could put parents and caregivers in jeopardy down-the-line if they should ever find themselves in the courts due to their child's health problems, when confronted with child protective services, divorce, or just about any matter pertaining to that child that could be used against the parent(s). Please read any waiver provided by your child's doctor carefully before signing. Instead, offer a formally written and signed letter that simply says that you do not wish to vaccinate your child. If you are unsure of the language in the waiver, buy some time by telling your doctor that you need to consult with a lawyer before signing it. Know your rights - say no to vaccines. Your doctor will try to bully you - you have the right to refuse anything you feel is harmful to your child. If your doctor won't listen, go to another doctor who will. Check your State's laws regarding exemption. Most States will allow you to avoid vaccinations if you have a religious or ethical reason. However - keep in mind that it is your right not to disclose your faith or your full reasons for not wanting to vaccinate your child. Regarding School Admission A signed document can and will be used as a legal document even in a public school. Unfortunately, private schools have a different set of rules not dictated by the government. Do Vaccines Work? Example One: According to a report printed by The Lancet (21/9/1991), a polio outbreak began in Oman between the years of 1988 and 1989. This is significant because a polio outbreak occurred despite the children being vaccinated prior to the outbreak. Curiously, the region with the highest attack rate had the highest vaccine coverage, while the region with the lowest attack rate had the lowest vaccine coverage. Example Two: Sweden abandoned the whooping cough vaccine in 1979. Why? Out of 5,140 cases of whooping cough in 1978, it was found that 84 percent had been vaccinated at least three times. You may find this report in the BMJ 283:696-697, 1981. Pay-outs More than $1.1 billion in claims have been paid by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to parents of children affected by vaccines. On average, each family received nearly a million dollars each. Sadly, the claims by the parents had to fit in the programme's extremely narrow definitions in order to qualify for compensation. Naughty CDC The CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee and its members get money from vaccine manufacturers. They own stock in vaccine companies and get paid to conduct research. As of 2003, the CDC has had 28 licensing agreements with companies and at least one university for vaccines. Vaccines once endorsed by the CDC were pulled off the market after infants (and even some adults) had serious reactions. People had to die for the CDC to admit wrongdoing. Why Your Doctor May Not Care Your doctor gets paid by the companies that supply the vaccines for each and every vaccine. A 1993 federal "Immunization Initiative" gave States more than $400 million in vaccine incentives and a $100 bounty for each child vaccinated with the shots the federal government recommended. You should know that according to the February 1981 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 90 percent of obstetricians and 66 percent of pediatricians refused to take the rubella vaccine, and in 1990 a British survey showed that over 50 percent of doctors in the UK rejected the Hepatitis B vaccine. (British Med Jnl, 27/1/90). The article, entitled "Feuding Over Vaccines" by Boodman, Sandra G., was printed in the Washington Post on 08 November 2005 on page F1. ©2006 Anai Rhoads Ford. www.anairhoads.orgAnai Rhoads (Ford) is a political researcher and Human Rights journalist originally from Athens, Greece. Her work has been featured on several web based newspapers and media outlets, which include ZMagazine, InfoShop.com, and Media Monitors. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief for AnaiRhoads.org. Anai is an advocate of vaccine reform, animal and human rights. She currently resides on the east coast with her husband, Chris Rhoads Ford and their daughter, Sian. Contact Author
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Post by Mary on Dec 19, 2006 10:09:37 GMT -5
Thimerosal and autism: David Kirby's 'Evidence of Harm'
By Evelyn Pringle Online Journal Contributing Writer
Download a .Pdf File for Printing. Adobe Acrobat Reader Required. Click Here to Download a Free Copy.
June 29, 2005—David Kirby's new book, "Evidence of Harm" is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the connection between autism and childhood vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal. The book examines the political and legal side of this travesty and presents information that cannot be disputed.
The book is a result of a thorough investigation and is by no means an anti-vaccine campaign. But most importantly, it's obvious that Kirby has no ax to grind.
"I was 100 percent unfamiliar with this story right up until November of 2002," Kirby says, "I had never met a person with autism in my life and I had never heard of thimerosal,"
"And I had certainly never heard of any connection between any form of mercury and autism," he adds, "although I did know mercury was not good for you. But I don’t think I realized the extent to which it could do damage in your body."
"Growing up in school," Kirby said, "I have tried . . . I have searched my brain going back class by class, trying to think, 'Could that kid have been autistic?'”
"But, I have seen autistic kids and no," he said, "I don’t believe I had ever met anybody—certainly no one who was diagnosed."
For people who insist that there is no epidemic and that it is just better reporting and better diagnostics, "I really would like to pose the question to them that Mark Blaxill, from Safe Minds, asks," Kirby said, "Where are all those people? Where are the one in 166 autistic adults? We can’t find them."
The epidemic is real and politicians know it. On June 18, 2004, Representative Dave Weldon, MD, (R-FL) took to the floor of Congress and told the members, "I would like to take this time to address what I consider to be a very growing problem, the epidemic of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders that are plaguing our nation.
"In January of this year, the Department of Health and Human Services sent out an autism alarm to the nation's pediatricians. In this alarm, they stated that one in every 167 children is being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. I will repeat that. One in every 167 children being born in the United States today is being diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. Furthermore, one in seven children is being diagnosed with either a learning disability or a behavioral disability.
"Mr. Speaker, something dreadful is happening to our youngest generation, and we must sound the alarm and figure out what is going on with our children," Weldon said.
According to Weldon, "autism was once in America a rare and infrequently seen condition. I went through four years of medical school, internship, residency, and years of private practice and practice within the military and had not seen one single case. I have seen case after case in my congressional district over the last seven years, a disease that I had never seen before."
Weldon told the committee, "The number one question has been whether neurologic problems were caused in some children by the high levels of a mercury containing additive that was included in our vaccines in the 1990s. This mercury containing additive is called thimerosol, and in the 1990s, infants and unborn children were exposed to significant amounts of mercury at a most critical point in their development."
Ironically, Republican lawmakers are openly blaming thimerosal and seeking to have it banned. In addition to Weldon, Senator Roy Holand (R-Missouri), also a physician by training, identified thimerosal as the culprit and got Missouri legislators to prohibit its use in childhood vaccines in his state.
“As a physician, I’ve been concerned about the rising levels of autism, and the more I’ve learned about thimerosal, the more convinced I am that it causes neurological damage,” said Holand. “Mercury has no place being injected into children.”
Evidence of Harm examines the politics involved and reads like a mystery. Kirby weaves together the determined efforts by parents to force attention upon autism; the conflicting scientific evidence regarding thimerosal; and the behind-the-scenes maneuverings that led to an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services into allegations of malfeasance on the part of employees at the CDC and the FDA.
Kirby is no stranger to investigative journalism. He has been writing extensively for The New York Times for the past seven years and was a foreign correspondent in Mexico and Central America from 1986 -1990, where he covered the wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, and the politics, corruption and natural disasters in Mexico. From Latin America, he reported for UPI, the San Francisco Examiner, Newsday, Arizona Republic, Houston Chronicle and the NBC Radio Network.
Kirby keeps up with all the studies by independent scientists. "The most important ones among them are the work of Jeff Bradstreet, Jill James, and Dr. Richard Deth, and others looking into this: Boyd Haley, of course, from the University of Kentucky. Mark and David Geier have looked more into the epidemiology than the biology of this," he adds.
"The bottom line of what their studies are showing," Kirby says, "is that autistic kids retain heavy metals at a much greater rate than normal kids; that they seem unable, in fact, to actually excrete it."
There is a treatment known as "chelation" that is showing some success when used to draw mercury out of the bodies of autistic children.
"Following chelation," Kirby reports, "autistic children excrete far higher levels of mercury than normal kids. And yet, in their baby haircuts, we’re finding that normal kids have much higher levels of mercury in their hair," he said, "And that would then make sense, because they were excreting it properly; the autistic kids were holding onto it."
This theory is supported by research conducted by Dr. Mady Hornig which took different strains of mice—one strain which was genetically predisposed to have auto-immune disorders—and exposed them all to the same level of vaccines that children would have received.
In the sensitive group of mice, Hornig noticed autistic-like behavior and physiological development such as increased brain size that you see in autistic children. Of course as always happens to scientists who connect the dots on this issue, she has been attacked for the study.
According to Kirby, people said, "How can you tell if a mouse has autism or not?"
But he explains, "I’m not quite sure that was the point of the study. I think the point of the study was to show that certain members of the same species, with a genetic difference, will react differently to the same level of mercury exposure due to a genetic variance."
Which makes perfect sense. Those children whose bodies cannot rid themselves of mercury become autistic. The August 2003 International Journal of Toxicology study revealed that healthy children excreted eight times more mercury via their hair than did autistic children. In fact, the more severe a child's autistic symptoms, the less mercury was excreted in her hair, indicating that mercury also could be retained in the child's tissue, including her brain.
Thimerosal began to be slowly removed from vaccines in late 1999. "That means new vaccines started to be produced without mercury in them," Kirby said, "But as we know, all the vaccines on the shelf with mercury stayed on the shelves—there was never a recall."
According to Kirby, "We have no idea how long it took to use up all that mercury-containing vaccine, or even if it has all been used up," he said, "The OSC has said that there may be vaccine out there with an expiration date of 2005 that still contains the full amount of mercury."
"We don’t know when those lots were released; we don’t know where they were released; we don’t know what kids in what part of the country were getting mercury and what kids were not post 2000," he warns.
The truth is there are still some vaccines out there that contain full doses of the thimerosal with expiration dates in the fall of 2005. They include:
Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (Aventis Pasteur) 10-dose Vial, lot UB505AA, expires 17 Jun 05, 25 micrograms of mercury per dose from thimerosal; Td Vaccine (Aventis Pasteur) 10-dose Vial, lot U1014AA, expires 2 Sept 05; 25 micrograms of mercury per dose from thimerosal; Tetanus Toxoid Absorbed Vaccine (Aventis Pasteur) 10-dose Vial, lot U1048BA, expires 8 Sept 05, 25 micrograms of mercury per dose from thimerosal; Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine (Aventis Pasteur) 15-dose Vial, lot U0775AA, expires 10 Mar 05, 25 micrograms of mercury per dose from thimerosal; Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine (Je-Vax - Aventis Pasteur) 3 x 1 mL Vials, lot EJN*196B, 35.7 micrograms of mercury per dose from thimerosal; Td Vaccine Mass. Department of Health, 7.5 mL Vial, lot Td-102, expires 21 May 2005, 8.3 micrograms of mercury per dose from thimerosal; Influenza Virus Vaccine (Fluzone - Aventis Pasteur) 5 mL Vial, 25 micrograms of mercury per dose from thimerosal; Pediatric DT Vaccine (Aventis Pasteur) 5 mL Vial, 25 micrograms of mercury per dose from thimerosal.
As late as 2003, a review of the Physician's Desk Reference showed that three childhood vaccines were still being made with full doses of thimerosal. Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular-Pertussis (DTaP) manufactured by Aventis-Pasteur in multi-dose vials contained 25 micrograms of mercury, Haemophilus-influenza-Type b (HibTITTER) in multi-dose vials manufactured by Wyeth contained 25 micrograms of mercury, and pediatric hepatitis B vaccine manufactured by Merck contained 12.5 micrograms of mercury. These vaccines represented about half of the childhood vaccines available for use in the US that year.
So we know that children may have been exposed to high levels of mercury in 2003. The total childhood mercury intake could have been more than 300 µg, according to the report in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Spring 2003 issue.
The bottom line Kirby says, "We do know that kids were getting mercury right up through 2002, and perhaps later. We also know that it is in the flu shots," he adds.
On January 19, 2004, Mark Geier, the internationally renowned genetic researcher, discussed the flu vaccines with Kelley Omeara of Insight News, "There is something called the blood/brain barrier, which prevents some toxins from entering the brain. But ethyl mercury, which is what is in the influenza vaccine, crosses that barrier," he explained, "The influenza vaccine has 25 micrograms of mercury, which means that to be at the recommended level of safety, and assuming that you get no mercury from any other source, you'd have to weigh 550 pounds to be safe."
The independent scientific research behind this public health crisis is mounting and the public is beginning to sit up and take notice of the media stories coming out that discuss the information contained in Evidence of Harm.
For instance, an article titled "Deadly Immunity," written by Robert Kennedy, Jr., was co-published this month in Rolling Stone and Salon. It mentions Evidence of Harm and discusses many of the issues detailed in the book.
Kennedy's article, tells how in June 2000, the CDC held a conference at the Simpsonwood Conference Center in Norcross, Ga., where doctors and scientists gathered to discuss a preliminary study that indeed found a statistically significant link between thimerosal and autism. From material obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, Kennedy cites quotes that leave no doubt that the meeting's purpose, ultimately, was to "whitewash the risks of thimerosal, ordering researchers to 'rule out' the chemical's link to autism."
The American Prospect hailed the article as a "blockbuster piece," and on June 21, while discussing the article with Kennedy, Joe Scarborough, on his MSNBC TV show, said that "there's no doubt in my mind that thimerosal causes, in my opinion, autism."
According to Dr. Geier, "the current epidemic of autism may well be the greatest iatrogenic epidemic in history. The damage already done to our society is already in the trillions of dollars. The damage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and that of the AIDS epidemic pale when compared to the current epidemic of autism."
Or put another way, "To cling to a purely genetic explanation for autism is a desperate attempt to maintain the illusion that one lives in a comfortable and rational world where new chemicals and technologies always mean progress; experts are always objective and thorough; corporations are honest; and authorities can be trusted," says Harvard's Martha Herbert, "That human actions, rather than genes, might be responsible for compromising the health of a significant proportion of a whole generation is so painful as to be, for many, unthinkable."
The vaccine makers, along with their complicit government scientists and policy makers, have a lot to lose. If they don't find a way to keep the public from finding out that they knowingly allowed an entire generation of children to be damaged, the ensuing litigation will spread through the nation's court system like wild-fire and push tobacco and asbestos law suits down into small claims court.
The evidence presented in Kirby's book forces readers to face the unthinkable and leads to one conclusion: a generation of innocent and defenseless children were poisoned for profits by a greedy segment of society mistakenly entrusted to protect the common good of children all over the world.
Evelyn Pringle is a columnist for Independent Media TV and an investigative journalist focused on exposing corruption.
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Post by Mary on Dec 19, 2006 10:12:03 GMT -5
Thimerosal Autism News " RFK Jr. says Thimerosal and autism link is clear "
June 22, 2005
For years, the connection between thimerosal in vaccines and the development of autism has been argued. Studies continue to be presented in favor of whatever side of the fence being argued, but many people are still confused over what the official stance on the subject is.
Six out of every 1,000 kids have autism, which Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to attribute to Thimerosal. Kennedy has recently written an article about the possible Thimerosal and autism link in the current issue of Rolling Stone. In an interview on the ‘Scarborough Country' program, Kennedy said the autism blame falls on the government and its continued efforts to cover their tracks.
Thimerosal was first put in vaccines in the 1930s as a preservative, which Kennedy says is when autism cases began to appear. When the vaccine schedule was increased, thus requiring children to receive 24 vaccines from the previous 10 that prior generations received, the Thimerosal content also significantly increased without, according to Kennedy, first being analyzed to determine the impact a cumulative effect of the mercury would have on children.
Kennedy said the increased vaccine schedule meant children were being injected with 400 times the amount of mercury the FDA or EPA considers safe, and that when a child is born and injected on his/her first day with a Hepatitis B shot, EPA guidelines would mean the baby has to be 275 pounds to safely absorb it. As a reflection, Kennedy said by 1999, one in every 2,500 American children had autism, and today, one in every 166 children has autism.
When questioned why the topic has been so controversial despite the convincing scientific evidence Kennedy argues exists finding a clear link between Thimerosal and autism, Kennedy blames “junk science” allowing the “regulatory bureaucrats that green-lighted Thimerosal originally” to be protected. Transcripts from the secret meeting held in Simpsonwood, Georgia in 2000 have been obtained, according to Kennedy, that show undeniable evidence of the Thimerosal and autism link. Instead of defending American health Kennedy said some people in government are comprising it by allowing Thimerosal to remain in vaccines. For more information on thimerosal and autism, please contact us to confer with an attorney.
Thimerosal in the News
While researchers look for links between autism, pervasive developmental disorders, and the mercury content of the vaccines which are mandated by law, some physicians are convinced that the dangers of mandatory vaccinations and the vaccines themselves potentially cause more harm than good. CLICK HERE to learn more!
Thimerosal: A possible cause of autism-spectrum disorders including autism, ADHD, PDD, & anorexia. CLICK HERE to learn more!
For more information on thimerosal contact us to confer with a thimerosal lawyer.
The uproar over a little-known preservative, thimerosal, jostles U.S. hepatitis B vaccination policy. For the full article, CLICK HERE!
Thimerosal in Vaccines: A Joint Statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Public Health Service. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act of 1997 called for FDA to review and assess the risk of all mercury-containing food and drugs. For the full article, CLICK HERE!
Washington, DC - In an October 25, 2000 letter to HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, requested a recall of all vaccines containing Thimerosal. For the full article, CLICK HERE!
Additional Education
While researchers look for links between autism, pervasive developmental disorders, and the mercury content of the vaccines which are mandated by law, some physicians are convinced that the dangers of mandatory vaccinations and the vaccines themselves potentially cause more harm than good. CLICK HERE to learn more!
Thimerosal: A possible cause of autism-spectrum disorders including autism, ADHD, PDD, & anorexia. CLICK HERE to learn more!
Keeping Current On Vaccine Recommendations. During the last 10 - and especially the last 5 years - changes in the number of vaccines and recommendations for their use has been tremendous.CLICK HERE to learn more!
The Toxic Exposure Study Trust (TEST) Foundation. The purpose of this web page is to educate persons in the health care community and the public at large about the potential dangers resulting from exposure to thimerosal containing compounds and substances.CLICK HERE to learn more!
Personal Injury Attorney Near You - Resource for Information about Personal Injury. Find information about all types of personal injury including auto accident, defective products, nursing home abuse, and wrongful death. In addition, An Attorney Near You, is the place for locating a Personal Injury Attorney Nationwide for your personal injury litigation.
Benzene Exposure Lawsuit - Workers are exposed to benzene, the human carcinogen that has been responsible for instances of acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, in addition to other forms of cancer and leukemia. Learn more about Benzene exposure here.
Federal Drug Administration (FDA) We want to explain FDA's ongoing efforts in response to the issue of vaccines and autism By KAREN MIDTHUN, M.D., . Get the full story here
The uproar over a little-known preservative, thimerosal, jostles U.S. hepatitis B vaccination policy.
Washington, DC - In an October 25, 2000 letter to HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, requested a recall of all vaccines containing Thimerosal.
Thimerosal in Vaccines: A Joint Statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Public Health Service. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act of 1997 called for FDA to review and assess the risk of all mercury-containing food and drugs.
Click here to find out more about your legal rights regarding thimerosal.
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Post by Mary on Dec 19, 2006 10:16:35 GMT -5
Crucial warning about aspartame in diet drinks and food By Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum Online Journal Guest Writer Download a .pdf file for printing. Adobe Acrobat Reader required. Click here to download a free copy. [Editor's note: The following is excerpted from a July 12, 2005, email Dr. Martini sent to the Phoenix City, Ala., Board of Education.] Suppose someone offered you this deal: "Let us feed your children products that trigger learning and behavioral problems, cause obesity, interact with drugs and vaccines, precipitate diabetes, trigger brain fog, blindness, retardation, seizures and produce 92 symptoms including death, by FDA report? Would you consent? And by the way an ingredient is an addictive narcotic that hooks them for life, and shortens it. Student athletes will suddenly drop dead when it damages their cardiac conduction systems. It also is a chemical hypersensitization agent. No member of the Board would allow such an atrocity. But what if they offer you money? What is a fair price for the lives and health of your children? This question is before you now, and the soft drink vendors are right outside the door with their checkbooks. Am I telling the truth? Listen to these authorities: The long National Soft Drink Association petition to Congress against the approval of aspartame was published in the May 7, 1985, Congressional Record: "Searle has not met its burdens under section 409 . . . to demonstrate that aspartame is safe and functional for use in soft drinks. . . . The extensive deficiencies in the stability studies conducted by Searle to demonstrate that aspartame and its degradation products [methyl alcohol, formaldehyde, formic acid, diketopiperazine, etc] are safe in soft drinks intended to be sold in the United States, render these studies inadequate and unreliable. " "There have been hundreds of reports from consumers around the country suggesting a possible relationship between their consumption of NutraSweet and subsequent symptoms including headaches, aberrational behavior, slurred speech, etc. . . . Aspartame has been demonstrated to inhibit the carbohydrate-induced-synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin (Wurtman affidavit). Serotonin blunts the sensation of craving carbohydrates and thus is part of the body's feedback system that helps limit the consumption of carbohydrate to appropriate levels. Its inhibition by aspartame could lead to the anomalous result of a diet product causing increased consumption of carbohydrates." Causing obesity! Read the entire protest. Dr. Louis Elsas, Professor of Genetics and Pediatrics at Emory University, in congressional testimony: "I have considerable concern for the increased dissemination and consumption of the sweetener aspartame in our world food supply. This artificial dipeptide is hydrolyzed by the intestinal tract to produce L-phenylalanine which in excess is a known neurotoxin. . . . In the rapidly growing post natal brain (children of 0–12 months) irreversible brain damage could occur" Dr. H. J. Roberts, F.A.C.P., F.C.C.P., named the "best doctor in the country" by a national medical publication, in his paper "Warning School Children at Risk": "Aspartame induced disorders in children include headache, confusion, convulsions, irritability, depression, intellectual deterioration, antisocial behavior, rashes, asthma and unstable diabetes. Addiction to aspartame products has also become a problem." Dr. Roberts authored three medical texts on aspartame toxicity, including "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic," 1,038 pages. Today I was in contact with Certified Neurodevelopmentalist Kay Ness, (ICAN) who warned: "All my work is trying to help children overcome attention and learning problems. A big part is basic nutrition to help them function better. It is no myth that improved nutrition improves brain function. Parents try hard to improve the diets of their children and despair when they have easy access to junk food and soda pop at schools. One principal, while drinking a diet soda, told me it meant $6,000/year in cash for the school, so he'd keep the machine. So we have the spectacle of children on psychoactive medications, parents trying to help them, and schools undermining the best interests of the children. If the school board truly cares for the children they will eliminate these chemicals, especially since the only motive for keeping these machines is money." What happens when pop and vending machines are removed. This 2002 report reveals: "In Appleton, Wisconsin, a revolution has occurred. It's taken place in the Central Alternative High School. The kids now behave. The hallways aren't frantic. Even the teachers are happy. The school used to be out of control. Kids packed weapons. Discipline problems swamped the principal's office. But not since 1997. What happened? "In 1997 a private group called Natural Ovens began installing a healthy lunch program. Fast food burgers, fries and burritos gave way to fresh salads, meats prepared with old-fashioned recipes and whole grain bread. Fresh fruits were added to the menu. Good drinking water arrived. Vending machines were removed. "As reported in a newsletter called Pure Facts: Grades are up, truancy is no longer a problem, arguments are rare, and teachers are able to spend their time teaching." Pure Facts is published by The Feingold Association, part of their mission to generate public awareness of the potential role of foods and synthetic additives in behavior, learning and health problems. Feingold banned aspartame. and health problems. The report continues: "If what happened in Appleton, Wisconsin, takes hold in many other communities across America, perhaps the ravenous corporations who invade school space with their vending machines and junk food will be tossed out on their behinds. It could happen. And perhaps ADHD will become a dinosaur. A non-disease that was once attributed to errant brain chemistry. And perhaps Ritalin will be seen as just another toxic chemical that was added to the bodies of kids in crazed attempt to put a lid on behavior that, in part, was the result of a subversion of the food supply." Why even think of allowing our children to drink products that break down to a brain tumor agent, DKP, which triggered brain tumors in original studies, as well as pituitary, testicular, mammary, ovarian, pancreatic and thyroid tumors. The Calorie Control Council, a front group for the aspartame industry wrote the Miami Herald which published their letter pushing it on pregnant women and phenylketonurics, specifically prohibited from aspartame. Neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock responded to this propaganda: "Fully a third of all babies born to PKU carrier mothers consuming aspartame foods and drinks risk varying degrees of brain damage. It is also known that the amount of toxic phenylalanine reaching the baby is twice as high as that in the mother's blood because the placenta concentrates the toxin. In addition, numerous metabolic breakdown products of aspartame are known to damage the developing infant's brain, including methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, diketopiperizine and phenylacetate. Aspartame has been shown by several studies to damage DNA, which can lead to cancer and degenerative brain disorders later in life. The risk of increased brain tumors in such a child would be enormous. Similar mechanisms of damage would be expected in those with liver disease. Studies on aspartame safety have shown that the product increases tumors throughout numerous organs, especially the brain. It was shown that brain tumor incidence increased over 47 times in animals exposed to aspartame. "With the public concern over childhood obesity and diabetes, few are being told of the overwhelming evidence that early exposure to excitotoxins (as found in aspartame) consistently produce gross obesity and insulin resistant diabetes, just as we are seeing in our youth. The promoters of aspartame use have been lying from the beginning and continue to use their money and political clout to cover up the real and present dangers of this toxic product. " Have there been studies on young children and aspartame? After 25 years of knowing how deadly aspartame is nobody would ask children to sign up for a study on sweet arsenic. But a study was accidently done by Dr. Miguel Baret Daniel in the Dominican Republic. Working with a pediatrician they decided to remove milk from the diet of 360 children because in small children it can precipitate diabetes. Instead he provided juice laced with aspartame. The pediatrician noticed that most of the children were having what he called a kind of "brain allergy" showing abnormal restlessness, lack of concentration, irritability and depression. Dr. Baret then removed the aspartame and within four days all the 360 children went back to normal. Why was aspartame approved by the FDA? For 16 years FDA not only refused to approve it, but asked to have G. D. Searle indicted under Title 18, Section 1001 for "their willful and knowing failure to make reports to the FDA required by the Act 21 USC 355 (i) and for concealing material facts and making false statements in reports of animal studies conducted to establish the safety of aspartame." Both U.S. Prosecutors hired on with the defense team and the statute of limitations expired. But Donald Rumsfeld, who was CEO of G D Searle, said he would call in his markers and get aspartame approved even though the FDA said no. He was on President Reagan's transition team. The incredible story of how Rumsfeld accomplished this is told by Washington, D.C., attorney James Turner in the documentary on aspartame called "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World". Here is a clip where you can see and hear attorney Turner tell one of the most incredible stories of political clout in getting a deadly chemical, a neurotoxic drug marketed for human consumption. We are taking case histories of aspartame brain tumors for litigation in New York, New Jersey, Madison County, Illinois and Mississippi. Does any parent want their children consuming a brain tumor agent? Psychiatrist Ralph Walton, M.D. in a paper said: "The neurochemical impact of aspartame on the brain is fairly complicated. Not only does it decrease the availability of the building block for serotonin (L- tryptophan), but one of the two amino acids that comprise aspartame, phenylalanine,is a precursor for another very important neurotransmitter, norepinephrine. Papers which I published in 1986 and 1993 discuss what I believe is the clinical impact (accentuating depressive illness) of altering the balance between these 2 neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and serotonin). "There is evidence that the therapeutic effect of antidepressants can be blocked by parachlorophenylalanine—a form of phenylalanine- one of the major constituents of aspartame. Administration of this substance has also been associated with aggression and binging." Aspartame and Weight Gain Food seeking behavior and satiety are driven by an area of the brain known as the hypothalamus. Stimulation of the medial hypothalamus in a laboratory rat leads to eating. Stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus leads to satiety and cessation of eating. Placing a lesion in the lateral hypothalamus produces an obese rat. The lateral hypothalamus is driven by serotonin. There are many papers in the current literature demonstrating that antidepressants which increase serotonin (but not antidepressants which act on other neurotransmitters) are useful in treating binge eating disorders. I believe that consuming large amounts of aspartame decreases the availability of serotonin and is thus analogous to placing a lesion in the lateral hypothalamus. Although much of this work is recent, clinical suggestions that aspartame can lead to a paradoxical increased appetite date back to Blunder's work of 1986. An evolving view in modern psychiatry is that although depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, impulse control disorders and eating disorders have historically been viewed as separate entities, in fact they should be viewed as a continuum of disorders all involving some degree of dysregulation of serotonin. I believe that at this time there is overwhelming evidence that aspartame contributes to this dysregulation. There is an epidemic of obesity in America, and we've known that diet pop with aspartame, and in other products has caused it. And now it has been shown by a new study and 7 to 8 years of data by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio: (Diet Soda Drinkers Gain Weight) In this study Sharon Fowler says it shows that "Something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity." How true! That product is aspartame (NutraSweet/Equal/Spoonful/Canderel, E951). Today, Sharon Fowler said: "It seems clear from case reports that some individuals can have very serious reactions to aspartame, which range from memory problems to severe depression. None of these would be beneficial either to our young people who might develop such reactions or to the teachers and administrators working with them. The real question is, why should anyone offer products for sale to our young people which might, be deleterious to their long term health, to their ability to achieve their highest potential academically, and to the classroom experience, as well?" An earlier study found weight gain among 78,694 women using artificial sweeteners: Stellman SD, Garfinkel L. Artificial Sweetener Use and One-Year Weight Change Among Women. Prev Med 1985; 15: 195 - 202. Another toxin, Splenda, is a chlorcarbon: The Lethal Science of Splenda—Stevia, found in health food stores, helps metabolize sugar and is ideal for diabetics. It's a natural herb, has been used for centuries. Children should be warned about gum because Wrigley's now puts aspartame in their products. It is particularly dangerous because like nitroglycerin, goes through saliva straight to the brain. Several have had grand mal seizures on aspartame-laced gum. Dr. Roberts has an excellent report on www.wnho.net Listerine Strips also have aspartame and there are many reports of seizures from them. Read the report Ritalin-Aspartame-Chromosome Damage - Killing Kids For Money, which reveals the high-powered lobbying tactics. Remove the lobbyists and pop and vending machines to protect the brains and lives of your children. May Alabama's School System be a model like "Miracle in Wisconsin. Dr. Betty Martini is the founder of Mission Possible International, 9270 River Club Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30097, 770–242–2599. See World Natural Health Organization, DORway.org and the Aspartame Toxicity Center. Mission Possible International is a global volunteer force warning the world off aspartame. It is dedicated to the proposition that death and disability are not an acceptable cost of business!
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Post by Mary on Dec 19, 2006 15:46:48 GMT -5
because it was killing adults,,,,, they dont care about the children now they recommending it for children.. Celebrex Lawsuit Celebrex is a popular anthritis drug belonging to the COX-2 family of pharmaceuticals. A recent clinical study indicated that Celebrex may be linked to higher incidences of life-threatening cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke. A competing drug, Vioxx, already has been withdrawn from the market after numerous clinical studies found similar problems. Celebrex Side Effects In the study conducted by the National Cancer Institute, patients taking Celebrex suffered more than twice as many heart attacks and strokes as those taking a placebo. Those taking a 400mg daily dosage had a 2.5 times greater risk. Patients taking 800mg were 3.4 times more likely to suffer a serious cardiovascular problem. Celebrex Recall In spite of strong evidence that Celebrex may be linked to life-threatening problems, Pfizer announced they would not recall the drug. The company contends that the results of this study are not consistent with earlier clinical studies and therefore a recall is not necessary. The manufacturer of Vioxx recently came under heated criticism for failing to withdraw the drug earlier. That company also disregarded and discredited clinical studies that indicated an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke. Celebrex Lawyers Greg Monforton and Partners is handling legal claims against Pfizer. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of Celebrex, we encourage you to contact us. FDA Approves Celebrex To Treat Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis For Kids 2 And Up December 18, 2006 1:35 p.m. EST Patricia Shehan - All Headline News Staff Writer Rockville, MD (AHN) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug Celebrex (Pfizer, Inc., NY, NY; generic: celecoxib) for a new use on Friday, in order to treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) for children as young as two years of age. The FDA's advisory panel had recommended the painkiller for this use back in November of 2006, with a vote of 15 to 1. The one opposing vote cited the lack of long-term, established data tracking the drug's safety for use in children. However, the 15 votes approving the recommendation claimed the risks involved outweighed the benefits. A 24-week study was conducted on 242 children between the ages of two and 17 years, in which Celebrex and a placebo were used to determine the effectiveness of the drug in treating JRA. Although there were commonly found side effects, including cough and cold symptoms, nausea, diarrhea, headaches and fever, these were not substantial enough to stop the approval process. The study did not include those children younger than two years of age. Also not included in the study were children who have a more serious form of JRA, known as "systemic onset JRA," which is associated with high fevers and rashes. The FDA cautions medical practitioners to only utilize Celebrex with caution in these cases, due to the risk of possible serious and harmful reactions. The FDA approval includes an agreement with the drug manufacturer to continue conducting further long-term studies on the effectiveness and safety of Celebrex in the use of children with JRA. Prior experience with adults has suggested that long-term cardiovascular problems may possibly exist from using this drug. The autoimmune disease, JRA, currently affects approximately 30,000 to 60,000 children in the U.S., according to the FDA. Symptoms include pain associated with joint swelling, a decrease range of motion, and abnormal growth and development. Some patients may even have develop chronic eye disease and progressive joint damage leading to permanent disability from JRA. According to the director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Dr. Steven Galson, "JRA is often a devastating disease. While there are other medicines approved for the treatment of this disorder, for some children they may have limited effectiveness or cause intolerable side effects. Celebrex will be a needed additional treatment option for children."
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Post by Mary on Dec 19, 2006 19:47:47 GMT -5
FDA Calls for Tougher Warnings on OTC Painkillers 12.19.06, 12:00 AM ET TUESDAY, Dec. 19 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. authorities are proposing stricter warning labels for popular over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin and Tylenol. The warnings, which would address the potential for stomach bleeding as well as liver damage, would apply to acetaminophen products such as Tylenol as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) and ketoprofen (Oruvail). Many product manufacturers already have voluntary warnings on their labels. The new rule would make the warnings mandatory, would require the warnings to be more prominently displayed and would require standardized language, Dr. Charles Ganley, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Nonprescription Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said during a Tuesday afternoon teleconference. The painkillers are linked to thousands of deaths each year. However, this is a small percentage of the number of people who use the medications. Probably well over 200 million people take acetaminophen alone in the United States, Ganley said. "These are rare circumstances but, because the drugs are used by so many people, those rare circumstances start adding up," he said. "We view this as an important problem that needs to be addressed." Also of concern are reports that the incidence of liver failure associated with acetaminophen is on the rise. The FDA has updated drug labeling for these products several times in the past, the Associated Press reported. The new proposed changes are based on scientific studies as well as advisory panel meetings. For acetaminophen, the new label would put the liver warning in bold type and move it further up in the warning section. A warning about alcohol, which was added to the label in the late 1990s, will be removed and incorporated into the liver information. The label should also highlight a greater potential for liver toxicity when using the drug in high doses or in combination with other drugs, according to the proposals. Manufacturers will be required to highlight the name "acetaminophen" on the principal display panel (either the outer carton or the actual medication container). Type size will also have to be larger. Similarly, the term "nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug" will have to be prominently displayed on the principal display panel with similar-size type for aspirin, naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). The NSAID warnings also will need to highlight the potential for stomach bleeding in people over the age of 60, people who have had prior ulcers or bleeding, who are taking blood thinners, who are taking more than one product containing a NSAID, who are also drinking alcohol or who take the drug for a longer period than directed. FDA officials are also asking for feedback on whether the United States should institute limits on the number of acetaminophen tablets sold in one package. Such limits exist in the United Kingdom, where acetaminophen overdose is a leading method of suicide. In the United States, handguns and suffocation lead the list, with poisonings representing about 10 percent of suicides, Ganley said. "We are asking the question whether this is something that should be considered in this country as well," he said. Ganley also said the FDA was following procedure, even though issues regarding the safety of these products have been on the table for years. "The regulatory process requires us to write a proposed rule," he said. "This has to be done in a formal way. The process is frustrating and takes a long time." According to a 1997 study in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the use of acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) accounts for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. every year. Worries Over Health Risks of NSAIDs Various doctors and health groups have expressed concern that the number of acetaminophen-related cases of liver failure has been on the rise. A 2005 study in the journal Hepatology revealed the annual percentage of acute liver failure caused by acetaminophen rose from 28 percent in 1998 to 51 percent in 2003. abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2737969&page=1
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Post by Mary on Dec 21, 2006 20:28:45 GMT -5
Teens Getting High on Medicine as Abuse of Illegal Drugs Falls
By Robert Schmidt
Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Use of illegal drugs by teenagers fell slightly over the past year as adolescents took prescription drugs and over-the-counter cough medicines to get high, a U.S. government-funded study showed.
The survey found increasing adolescent use of prescription drugs such as OxyContin and Vicodin. The annual look at drug use by students in eighth, 10th and 12th grades also showed that teenagers are abusing cough and cold medicine at a rate that U.S. officials said is a cause for concern.
``Youth may think these drugs are safer or safe because they are talked about as medicines,'' said John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, at a news conference in Washington. He urged parents to ``go to your medicine cabinet and take unused or those prescription drugs you are finished using and throw them away.''
Walters and U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the results of the study, sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and conducted by the University of Michigan, were mainly positive and continued to show a drop in drug abuse.
Youth drug use in 2006 is 23.2 percent lower than it was in 2001, Walters said. Use of marijuana, the most popular illegal drug, fell 25 percent over the five-year period, while cigarette smoking dropped by 29 percent and drinking alcohol fell by 13 percent, he said.
The results ``are very, very encouraging to all of us in government,'' said Gonzales.
Slight Decline
The number of students who reported taking illegal drugs during the past 12 months declined slightly from 2005. Fifteen percent of eighth graders, 29 percent of 10th graders and 37 percent of 12th graders had used illicit drugs, the study said. The reduction from the previous year was less than 1 percent for eighth graders, 1 percent for 10th graders and 1.9 percent for those in 12th grade.
Use of marijuana showed a decline, though researchers said the small decrease for eighth grade students -- 0.5 percent from 2005 -- may mean the five-year drop is ending. Use of methamphetamines fell significantly among 10th graders, though not in the other two grades, the study found.
A number of drugs, including LSD, powder cocaine, heroin and other narcotics, tranquilizers and sedatives, showed no change in use this year, according to researchers. Ecstasy was one of the few drugs that more students reported taking, with its use by 12th graders rising 1.1 percent from last year.
At Some Point in Life
Overall, 21 percent of eighth graders, 36 percent of 10th graders and 28 percent of 12th graders said they had taken an illegal drug at some point in their life, the study found.
Of prescription drugs, the use of Vicodin, a narcotic painkiller, rose among all three grade levels. Abuse of OxyContin, also a painkiller, increased by eighth and 10th graders.
This year's study for the first time included a question on cough and cold medicines. Those that are taken recreationally contain dextromethorphan, which in high doses can cause alterations of mood and consciousness. On the street the drug is known as DXM, Dex or skittles.
Four percent of eighth graders, 5 percent of 10th graders and 7 percent of 12th grade students reported using cough medicines to get high during the prior year, the study said.
The survey showed that 6 percent of eighth graders, 19 percent of 10th graders and 30 percent of 12th graders reported being drunk at least once in the prior month.
Daily cigarette smoking by teens has stopped declining after a decade of improvement, according to the study. Still, since the peak in the mid-1990s, daily smoking has fallen by 50 percent among 12th graders and more than 50 percent of eighth and 10th graders, researchers said.
The survey, which has been conducted since 1975, measures drug, alcohol and cigarette use by adolescent students across the U.S. This year, 48,460 students in eighth, 10th and 12th grades from 410 public and private schools participated.
To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Schmidt in Washington at rschmidt5@bloomberg.net .
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