Re: Re[2]: NY Times article

[Guest guest]

This is wonderful that the State of NY is looking into the mold issue.

However, unless they are also willing to TAKE ACTION against those who have

practiced organized deceit in medicine that stifles the understanding of these

mold induced illnesses, this is going NOWHERE. Some of our most respected

medical associations have allowed those who generate substantial income from

providing expert defense witness testimony denying the seriousness of these

illness

to set the national medical protocol.

Namely, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

(ACOEM), the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC), the

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), American College of

Medical Toxicology (ACMT) and the American College of Preventative Medicine

(ACPM). ALL of these organizations have knowingly promoted FALSE science

over the issue, written by expert defense witnesses.

Why would they do such a thing? Because, if people cannot prove they are

sick from mold, then the financial liability for stakeholders of moldy buildings

is greatly reduced. So how does one accomplish this? Get some well connected

medical gatekeepers of commerce, who generate much money personally by

denying illness, to teach the physicians that mold does not cause serious

illness.

Never mind that what they are promoting as science has been clearly and

specifically pointed out a non-science.

In my book, what has been allowed to occur over this issue is nothing short

of Racketeering. And if someone does not step in here and stop this, then all

the meetings in the world will do nothing to stop the problem. There is

currently a Federal Government Accountability Office audit into the matter.

But

the GAO can only address the way this false science has infiltrated science

within Federal government agencies. It is the private associations that need

to be called on the carpet for the known deceit they are promoting.

For more on the subject, read the following Wall Street Journal article,

January 2007 titled, " Court of Opinion, Amid Suits over Mold Experts Wear Two

Hats " by Armstrong.

_http://www.schoolmoldhelp.org/content/view/275/46/_

(http://www.schoolmoldhelp.org/content/view/275/46/)

Or read about it the new publication within the International Journal of

Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH), title " American College of

Occupational and Environmental Health, a professional association in service to

industry " . The portion on mold begins on pdf page 17.

_http://www.ijoeh.com/pfds/IJOEH_1304_LaDou02.pdf_

(http://www.ijoeh.com/pfds/IJOEH_1304_LaDou02.pdf)

This article is making quite a stir within the occupational and

environmental medical communities and workers comp arenas. So what? Unless an

Attorney

General is willing to step in and stop this, the deceit will continue and we

will all sit around scratching our heads as to why this issue NEVER seems to

get resolved.

One example of what people know of the matter:

Workers Comp Zone Law Blog

MOTHRA FIGHTS GODZILLA

Sunday, November 18, 2007, 12:59 PM - Medical treatment under WC

Hey, it's the weekend and my mind works in strange ways.

Remember the 1950s/1960s Japanese monster films, many of which are now cult

classics? Mothra vs. Godzilla was in 1962:

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothra_vs._Godzilla_

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothra_vs._Godzilla)

I couldn't help thinking of those classic monster films this week as I saw

ACOEM doing battle with IJOEH in the press. The battle of the acronyms.

ACOEM is the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

ACOEM's cookbook of medicine is now the official standard for treatment for

California's workers' comp system (with a few exceptions, such as for

acupuncture and chronic pain treatment, which will have other guidelines).

ACOEM is now under scrutiny by academics specializing in occupational and

environmental health.

ACOEM appears to be a professional organization in service to industry.

The charge is made by researchers including University of California at San

Francisco professor ph LaDou in an article in this month's International

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH). LaDou is a professor

of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at UCSF.

The IJOEH charges against ACOEM are serious and detailed. Here's a long

quote from the preface to the article summarizing the full

contents on ACOEM:

" The American College of Occupational and Environmental (ACOEM) is a

professional association that represents the interests of its company employed

physician members. Fifty years ago the ACOEM began to assert itself in the

legislative arena as an advocate of limited regulation and enforcement of

occupational health and safety standards and laws, and environmental protection.

Today

the ACOEM provides a legitimizing professional organization for company

doctors, and continues to provide a vehicle to advance the agendas of their

corporate sponsors. Company doctors in ACOEM recently blocked attempts to have

the

organization take a stand on global warming. Company doctors employed by the

petrochemical industry even blocked the ACOEM from taking a position on

particulate air pollution. Industry money and influence pervade every aspect of

occupational and environmental medicine. The controlling influence of industry

over the ACOEM physicians should cease. The conflict of interests inherent in

the practice of occupational and environmental medicine is not resolved by

the ineffectual efforts of the ACOEM to establish a pretentious code of

conduct. The conflicted interests within the ACOEM have become too deeply

embedded

to be resolved by merely a self-governing code of conduct. The specialty

practice of occupational and environmental medicine has the opportunity and

obligation to join the public health movement. If it does, the ACOEM will have

no

further purpose as it exists, and specialists in occupational and

environmental medicine will meet with and be represented by public health

associations.

This paper chronicles the history of occupational medicine and industry

physicians as influenced and even controlled by corporate leaders. "

Way to go, Mothra! Take that, Godzilla!

You can read the entire paper online by clicking here:

_http://www.ijoeh.com/pfds/IJOEH_1304_LaDou02.pdf_

(http://www.ijoeh.com/pfds/IJOEH_1304_LaDou02.pdf)

You can see ACOEM defend itself in this " open letter " from its President:

_http://www.acoem.org/ResponseToIJOEH.aspx_

(http://www.acoem.org/ResponseToIJOEH.aspx)

Don't count Godzilla out, but Mothra has definitely drawn blood in this

fight. ACOEM's defense will undoubtedly be subject to further scrutiny in the

academic press.

The IJOEH article notes that ACOEM refused to share information in its

archives with the UCSF researchers.

Why does any of this matter? ACOEM has adopted a smug patina of

invincibility as the arbiter of " best practices " in workplace medicine.

But the emperor may have no clothes.

Stay tuned. You can subscribe to the blog via RSS by clicking on the buttons

at the lower right menu bar.

Julius Young

_http://www.boxerlaw.com/attorney_bios/julius_young.html_

(http://www.boxerlaw.com/attorney_bios/julius_young.html)

Here are some others who know of what is occurring over this matter:

A review of the article, IJOEH

_http://www.ijoeh.com/pfds/IJOEH_1304_Greenberg.pdf_

(http://www.ijoeh.com/pfds/IJOEH_1304_Greenberg.pdf)

Center for Science in the Public Interest discussing the paper.

_http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/watch/200711191.html#5_

(http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/watch/200711191.html#5)

Chronicle of Higher Education discussing the paper

_http://chronicle.com/news/article/3454/medical-society-considers-suing-journa

l_

(http://chronicle.com/news/article/3454/medical-society-considers-suing-journal)

The Scientist Blog discussing the paper

_http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/53874/_

(http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/53874/)

Center for School Mold Help

_http://www.schoolmoldhelp.org/content/view/905/46/_

(http://www.schoolmoldhelp.org/content/view/905/46/)

Knowledge Speak

_http://www.knowledgespeak.com/newsArchieveview.asp?intMonth=11 & intYear=2007_

(http://www.knowledgespeak.com/newsArchieveview.asp?intMonth=11 & intYear=2007)

California Applicant Attorney's Association

_http://www.caaa.org/Research/Revised_Release_ACOEM1107.pdf_

(http://www.caaa.org/Research/Revised_Release_ACOEM1107.pdf)

WorkCompCentral

_http://www.caaa.org/Research/ACOEM_conflict_of_interest.pdf_

(http://www.caaa.org/Research/ACOEM_conflict_of_interest.pdf)

Sincerely,

Sharon Noonan Kramer

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