Tuesday, April 03, 2007

NO EVIDENCE OF HARM

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/science/earth/03water.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Don't you love that phrase? I saw it this morning in the New York Times article about the levels of drugs in our water. Drugs like antibiotics and birth control pills. Drugs we pee out into toilets and then flush into public water treatment plants. Drugs we flush down toilets as DEA pounds on our... Oh, wait, no, that was an episode of WEEDS. Drugs we flush down the toilet when they expire or when great grandma expires and you no longer need the 24 bottles of pills she was taking. (I heard she died of natural causes but I have my doubts.)

OK - so the article says some states are taking precautions although there is -- Say it with me! -- NO EVIDENCE OF HARM. The good news is you may be able to clear up that yucky clumpy stuff growing out of your skoodlydoodly and prevent pregnancy simply by turning on the tap. The bad news is we really have no idea the long term effect of the small amounts of these chemicals in our water on children especially.

FDA suggests you read the literature with your drugs to find out how to dispose of them. Hello? People can't be bothered to recycle tin cans - they're going to save their little flyer with their meds and refer to it before they toss the meds they didn't bother to take in the first place? And then take the meds to safe disposal centers? Sure - just drop them off along with the new mercury light bulbs that require special disposal processing too.

Oh, and if the term EVIDENCE OF HARM sounds familiar? It should That's the title of David Kirby's book from 2005 that examines the mercury and vaccine controversy. www.evidenceofharm.com You see, the experts say "There is no evidence of harm" from mercury in vaccines. It's not quite the same as saying "Mercury in vaccines is safe." It's more like a Jack Ass stunt. "I wonder if jumping out of a ninth story window smeared in Vaseline onto a field of cacti will cause injury." Some things should be left to common sense, eh?

We have no evidence that landing on the moon and ripping of your helmet will kill you. Care to try it? Let's call that crazy Astronaut lady.

4 comments:

Michelle O'Neil said...

Thanks for making my coffee almost come out my nose.

Someone recently told me that in California, there's a big brou-ha-ha about yanking the deceased's teeth (the ones with mercury amalgams) before they will cremate, because the fumes are just too toxic.

Not that there's any evidence of harm with those gorgeous silver clumps.

Stacy said...

And to think I thought it bad enough that my town has a highly unhealthy level of lead in the water. Just think of what else could be in there: laxatives, anticoagulants, Viagra. The possibilities are endless!

Laura said...

Yep, our world is just soo healthy. The mercury teeth thing - no, we don't want to burn those, but please, feel free to fill my mouth with them, so when they expand and contract with hot and cold foods they'll offgas toxins into my mouth. No harm in that at all. When the politicians' sons are growing boobs from grandma's flushed hormone replacements, that may stir them into action. Just maybe.

Anonymous said...

loved this post!