ACSH staffers are thankful to former ACSH Trustee Gerry Ohrstrom for calling our attention to a New York Times article by David Leonhardt, who warns, “Several common diseases, like certain cancers and developmental disorders, have been rising in recent decades, and scientists are not sure why. In some cases, evidence suggests chemicals may be the reason. Nobody can be sure, though. The science is not far enough along, partly because our regulation of toxins is so limp.”
ACSH staffers are convinced that the only reasonable course of action is an outright ban on any chemical that might be found in human blood. April Fool’s!
In fact, “Leonhardt’s column is completely unscientific and alarmist,” says ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross. “He’s especially concerned about these patients that have been found to have zinc toxicity because of their use of zinc-containing denture creams in excessive quantities, despite warning labels that tell them not to do that. Now he wants to ban zinc from these products. Does Mr. Leonhardt know how many people die of alcohol abuse and drinking and driving every year? Maybe we should ban alcohol. Oh wait, we tried that already.”
