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FDA Study Identifies Toxins in Electronic Cigarettes

Greg Webb — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:42:28 GMT

According to a preliminary analysis by the FDA, electronic cigarettes contain traces of carcinogens and toxins. These findings contradict electronic cigarette manufacturers’ statements that their products are a safe alternative to tobacco. Manufacturers claim that the battery-powered cigarettes contain nothing more than water vapor, nicotine, and propylene glycol, which is used to create artificial smoke. When heated, the liquid produces a vapor that users inhale.

The FDA analyzed 19 varieties of the cartridges that hold the liquid and two types of cigarettes made by NJoy and Smoking Everywhere. It found that several cartridges contained nitrosamines, tobacco-specific compounds known to cause cancer, and one cartridge from Smoking Everywhere contained diethlyene glycol, a common ingredient in antifreeze. Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, the FDA’s principal commissioner, reports concerns because, while the FDA knows what’s in the cigarettes, it doesn’t know how those ingredients affect the body when inhaled through electronic cigarettes.

The Electronic Cigarette Association said in a statement that the FDA’s testing was too narrow to be reliable and that its members only sell and market their product to adults. CEO of NJoy Jack Ledbetter said a third party had tested its products and pronounced them an appropriate alternative to cigarettes, but he did not release those findings. He said experts would review both NJoy’s tests and the FDA’s.

Dr. Sharfstein said that electronic cigarettes are manufactured in China and subject to little quality control, adding that the study found nicotine levels to vary in cartridges who claimed to have a standard amount and found the drug in cartridges who claimed to be nicotine-free.

The FDA has called the cigarettes electronic drug delivery devices, turning away approximately 50 shipments of them at the border. It would not comment on whether it planned to ban electronic cigarettes, but public health officials are worried that the cherry and bubblegum flavors are enticing to children and may be easy for minors to obtain. Smoking Everywhere filed a lawsuit against the FDA in April, claiming that it did not have jurisdiction to bar electronic cigarettes from entering the U.S.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Webb

EPA Declares Public Emergency Due To Asbestos At Montana Mine

Greg Webb — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:23:05 GMT

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared its first-ever “public emergency,” stating the federal government will give $6 million to the health authority in Lincoln County, Montana to provide medical care to people who were sickened by asbestos from a mine. The money is intended to pay for what insurance will not, and cover the medical bills of people without insurance. The declaration applies to the towns of Libby and Troy, where for decades workers in the town mined for vermiculite, a mineral used in insulation. Unknowingly, the workers were poisoning themselves because the vermiculite contained a toxic form of asbestos, which the workers carried home on their clothes.

Although the two towns’ combined population is only 3,900, the Department of Health and Human Services estimates about 500 residents have asbestos-related illnesses such as lung cancer and asbestosis. A department spokesperson estimates fifty new cases are diagnosed every year, including some in family members who never stepped foot in the mine. Senator Jon Tester of Montana claims no family in the area has escaped exposure.

The EPA’s announcement came about six weeks after a Montana jury acquitted the chemical company W.R. Grace and three of its executives on charges that they withheld important information regarding the dangers of the mine. W.R. Grace ran the mine from 1963 until it closed in 1990, though vermiculite had been removed from the mine since the early 20^th century. Although the Department of Health and Human Services has spent about $46 million in the past ten years for diagnostic screening programs and paying to improve health care, the new $6 million is to be given directly to patients.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Webb

Class-Action Lawsuit Filed in China Against Companies Involved in Melamine Scandal

Greg Webb — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:48:04 GMT

A class-action suit was filed in China against 22 dairy companies seeking compensation for the deaths and illnesses of hundreds of children caused by milk tainted with melamine. Product liability suits and class-actions are extremely rare in China, where the ruling Communist Party discourages the filing of lawsuits with multiple plaintiffs because it could disrupt social stability.

The lawsuit was filed with the Supreme People’s Court on behalf of 213 children who were affected by melamine. Melamine is a toxic chemical illegally added to dairy products in order to give false readings of higher levels of protein. It can cause various health issues, including kidney problems and death, especially in children.

According to the Chinese government, 300,000 children have been sickened and six children have died from consuming products with melamine. However, the 213 victims in the lawsuit include four deceased children who have not been included by the government in the official death toll. Government officials were involved in covering up the deaths and illnesses.

The attorneys representing the children previously filed two other class-action lawsuits, but the lower courts did not accept the case. The current suit is seeking more than $5.2 million in compensation, with varying amounts being demanded for each individual child. The largest demand is $73,000 for a dead child.

Sanlu Group, China’s largest producer of infant formula which is now in bankruptcy, had the highest concentration of melamine in its products. All of the deaths so far have been linked to Sanlu. The former chairwoman of the company, Tian Wenhua, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty for her role in contaminating the products.

Two other men involved in the scandal have been sentenced to death. Zhang Yujun received the death penalty for producing and selling melamine-laced “protein powder.” The other man, Geng Jinping, received the death penalty for producing and selling toxic food. Eighteen other defendants have been implicated with contributing to the scandal.

Sanlu and the other 21 companies in the lawsuit sent a letter to parents offering about $29,200 for the death of a child, $4,400 for children suffering from serious illness like kidney stones and acute kidney failure, and $300 for less severe cases. Thousands of parents have accepted compensation, while others have rejected it, demanding long-term health care for the victims and medical research into their illnesses.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Webb

FDA Allowing Melamine to Remain in Infant Formula

Greg Webb — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Scientists at Consumer’s Union, a nonprofit group, believe that a decision by the Food and Drug Administration to allow infant formula contaminated with melamine or its byproducts to remain on store shelves is “seriously flawed.”

The FDA tested 89 containers of U.S.-manufactured infant formula and reportedly detected traces of melamine in a can of milk-based liquid Nestle Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron, and traces of cyanuric acid in three different cans of Mead Johnson’s Enfamil LIPIL with Iron.

The FDA says studies show that the dangers of health effects are only a concern when both chemicals are present. Because dual contamination is key, there have been no recalls of the formulas.

Consumer’s Union is concerned that the FDA was assuming parents would never feed their babies more than one type of formula. They point to a case where one mother fed her baby two different formulas because “one caused constipation, and one caused loose bowels, but together the baby’s digestion seemed just right.”

The International Formula Council, an organization representing major infant formula makers, said doctors generally recommend feeding infants only one type of formula.

An FDA spokeswoman said the agency’s testing “found that the U.S. supply of infant formula is safe,” but that they were reviewing Consumer’s Union concerns.

In China, melamine has caused sickness in 300,000 babies, killing at least six infants. There, melamine was intentionally added to watered-down milk in order to show higher protein levels in food quality tests. Byproducts of the milk ended up in various products, including infant formula and coffee creamers.

The concentration levels detected in U.S. infant formula samples were 10,000 times smaller than the levels detected in China’s infant formula. However, there has been little research on what levels are considered safe. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who heads a panel which oversees the FDA budget, called for a zero-tolerance policy for melamine in domestic infant formula.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Webb

Gulf War Syndrome is Real Says Congressionally Mandated Panel

Greg Webb — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Gulf War syndrome is real and afflicts one-fourth of the 700,000 U.S. troops who served in the War, says a panel report issued in November. A congressionally mandated scientific panel released the report concluding that the syndrome exists, which contradicts almost two decades of government denials. “The extensive body of scientific research now available consistently indicates that Gulf War illness is real, that it is a result of neurotoxic exposures during Gulf War deployment, and that few veterans have recovered or substantially improved with time,” according to the report.

The report comes from the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses, chartered by Congress in 1998 but with no appointed members until 2002. The panel is made up of 15 members, including both scientists and veterans. Their report referred to two chemical exposures typically associated with the disorder: pyridostigmine bromide, given to troops to protect against nerve gas, and pesticides, often overused to protect against sand flies and other pests.

Many veterans reported memory loss, concentration problems, persistent headaches, unexplained fatigue, and widespread pain. Many also reported chronic digestive problems, respiratory symptoms, and skin rashes. The government maintained that the symptoms were due to stress or other unknown causes. “Veterans repeatedly find that their complaints are met with cynicism and a ‘blame the victim’ mentality that attributes their health problems to mental illness or non-physical factors,” said Roberta F. White, associate dean of research at the Boston University School of Health and the panel’s scientific director.

Prior reports issued by the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that there was little evidence to support existence of the syndrome. The newest report claims that those reports and studies were restricted by the VA. The bulk of research and experiments on the effects of the chemicals were done on animals, but the VA ordered the Institute of Medicine to only consider human studies, which skewed the results. The panel called for the VA to allow the Institute of Medicine to redo its reports, taking into account all available research, including that done on animals.

Additionally, critics believe the VA was reluctant to spend funds on research and treatments that a research committee might recommend. The current panel has called for Congress to appropriate $60 million per year for research into finding a cure for the disorder.

Pyridostigmine bromide, a major cause of the disorder, was given to troops in the fear that Iraqis would resort to chemical warfare. Pesticides, another major cause, were sprayed around living and dining areas, as well as on tents and uniforms, the report stated. Another lesser cause was the demolition of Iraqi munitions, which may have exposed almost 100,000 troops to nerve gases stored at the facility.

Also observed in the report are the significantly higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis than other veterans, and that troops downwind from the munitions demolition had twice the rate of deaths from brain cancer as other veterans.

“Recognition of the full extent of the illnesses suffered by these veterans of the conflict and the obligation owed them is long overdue,” said Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord David Craig, chief of the British defense staff during the war. “They are victims of the war as much as anyone struck by a bullet or shell.” Panel chair James H. Binns emphasized, “The importance … lies in what is done with it in the future.”

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Webb