Fw: 06/26/02

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----- Original Message ----- From: Kathi

Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 8:47 AM

Subject: 06/26/02

1. There is going to be a panel meeting on silicone breast implants. The information is at the following website: from Toxic Discovery http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfAdvisory/details.cfm?mtg=305 & print=1 M. Leonard Public Health Advisor Consumer Staff (HFZ-210) Division of Small Manufacturers, International and Consumer Assistance (DSMICA) Office of Health and Industry Programs Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA 2. Make-up kit holds hidden danger of cancer from Toxic Discovery New study claims legal loopholes allow beauty products to contain deadly toxins Amelia Hill Sunday April 7, 2002 The Observer Women are being exposed to deadly diseases through the everyday use of common cosmetics bought over the counter, according to a new study. The growing list of synthetic ingredients manufacturers add to their products are turning the most innocent-looking shampoos and moisturisers into cocktails of toxins that could cause cancer over years of sustained use. In Drop Dead Gorgeous: Protecting Yourself From The Hidden Dangers of Cosmetics, to be published in Britain next month, authors Kim kson and Dr S. Epstein reveal how manufacturers exploit loopholes in legislation designed to protect the public. 'These synthetic ingredients are inexpensive, stable and have a long shelf-life,' said kson. 'Manufacturers love them, but although the majority of products appear safe in the short run the results from long-term use could be deadly.' The UK cosmetics industry, which employs more than 20,000 people and accounts for £4.5 billion in sales each year, is regulated under the the Department of Trade and Industry's 1996 Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations. But while the regulations have approved more than 3,000 ingredients for cosmetic use in Europe, kson warns that many more find their way into use through loopholes, such as the caveat that allows products to contain traces of banned substances if they could not reasonably be removed during or after manufacture. 'Modern cosmetics contain a host of dubious ingredients which would be more at home in a test tube than on our faces,' said kson. 'Coal tar colours, phenylenediamine, benzene, even formaldehyde, are just a few of the synthetic chemicals commonly included in shampoos, skin creams and blushes - toxins which are absorbed into your skin with every use.' Unlike food or drugs, cosmetics and their raw ingredients are not subject to review or independent pre-market approval, a situation criticised by experts including Dr Munro, medical director of The Breakspear Hospital, Hertfordshire, which specialises in allergies and has seen 8,000 women since opening in 1982 - nearly all of whom were found to have a sensitivity to cosmetics. 'There is no question that people are being damaged by their cosmetics,' Munro said. 'How can they not be? So many things are put into cosmetics now that are carcinogenic and it is allowed because cosmetics are not considered to be as serious as drugs or food.' Munro believes the presence of large numbers of even small amounts of banned substances means that, over time, users will have been exposed to danger. 'One of the most extreme cases I have seen was a woman whose bone marrow was affected by chemicals used in hair dye. The level of her blood platelets dropped and she broke out in a severe rash,' she said. 'The situation as it is is plainly dangerous - unacceptably so.' Santamarina, a 34-year-old beautician, has spent 10 years battling chemically induced lupus. 'I started getting sick when I began taking cosmetology classes,' she said. 'Over the next 10 years I suffered from a string of digestive problems, sinus infections and excruciating pain in my back, ribcage and arms. There were days when I would crawl across the floor in pain.' Santamarina was given a chemical screening by doctors which showed high levels of benzene and toluene C, both common ingredients in nail polish and polish remover. After leaving her job and removing all synthetic cosmetics from her dressing table, Santamarina gradually began to recover. 'I am basically better now, but it was a long road to travel,' she said. 'I still find it hard to believe that I was poisoned by cosmetics, but the cause and effect leave no room for argument.' kson believes the adverse effects of toxins is compounded over decades, confusing hormone receptors and slowly altering cell structure. Chemicals are transmitted into the bloodstream in a number of ways: powders have the least absorption, while oily solutions or those designed to increase moisture allow more of the chemical to be absorbed. Eye makeup can be absorbed by the highly sensitive mucous membranes. Hair sprays, perfumes and dusting powders can be inhaled, irritating the lungs. Lipstick is often chewed off and swallowed. The United Nations Environmental Programme estimates that approximately 70,000 chemicals are in common use across the world with 1,000 new chemicals being introduced every year. Of all the chemicals used in cosmetics, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has reported that nearly 900 are toxic - although other groups attack that figure as being far too conservative. 'Compared to the toxins found in our air, soil and waterways, cosmetics seem a trivial pursuit to many environmental health and consumer advocacy groups,' said kson. 'But many of the same poisons that pollute our environment, from dioxins to petrochemicals, can be found in the jars and bottles that line our bathroom shelves.' kson admits it is too early to know with certainty how serious the long-term impact could be on health, but warns that hormone-disrupting chemicals may lurk in cosmetics which could lower immunity to disease and cause neurological and reproductive damage. 'Many of these same ingredients have been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals,' she said. 'At best, a visit to your neighbourhood cosmetic counter could result in allergies, irritations and sensitivities.' Some companies are moving slowly towards producing synthetic-free cosmetics, but experts say it is too early to judge whether these ranges are all they claim to be. Special report Observer Science pages 3. responses to Kathy Nye's post on Fluoxetine HI KATHY AND KATHI ----well you hit the nail on the head there kathy ----if that isn't the ole --"-its in their heads lets drug em " ---theory again -----THE GIVEAWAY IS DOWN AT THE BOTTOM --where it says <><>"SUPPORTED BY AN INVESTIGATOR - INITIATED GRANT FROM ELI LILLY AND COMPANY --" DUH ----SAME OLE SAME OLE ----they just have to have a psycological answer for ANY ILLNESS WOMEN HAVE----I am really getting tired of these drug companys and drs ---they are so full of themselves and their overdone egos they just cant come up with some NEW REAL STUDIES AND TESTS ----they must just play the game for the bucks and the name on the papers ----I do think this study is FLAWED AND BIASED ----does it matter to us ? no <> ! women know those tricks so they must be doing this for each other ---I WONDER ---IS THERE A TEST TO SHOW HOW DRS CAN MAKE YOU CRAZY ? LUV CB ------------------------------- I fully agree. I was sent to a psychiatrist, on the first visit, he prescribed Paxil for anxiety and panic attacks, which I only experienced when I had an asthma attack and was visibly getting cyanotic, but based solely on diagnosis of the referring physician. I refused and after the second visit was over, he said, " I am going to write a letter to your doctor, stating that there is no need for treatment, that you are mentally and emotionally stable and coherent, and that you possess a good deal of intelligence and knowledge." I have sense had very little trouble obtaining any listening ears or help from my doctors. Sometime ago, I posted a statement by the coroner of NYC, before congress, in which he stated his autopsy findings on all the people released from mental hospitals in NYC, during the '60's after being put on long term treatment of Prozac and being declared "cured," who were found dead in the streets homeless, over heated, and unable to care for themselves adequately. In virtually all, there was a restructuring of the frontal lobes, as a direct result of the Prozac, creating what he called a "chemical lobotomy." When I lost my hard drive, I also lost this article. Is there anyone who saved it and still has it? If so could you please send it to me? Kathi ------------------------------ 4. response to Why my vote? From: SWEETCAROLINELV@... drc120@... Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 02:37:47 -0400 (EDT) Subject: HI ---bms and dow Hi Georgianna ----I had Bristol too and I had to do the long term as an "other reg." but I had an attorney --she is in florida --sheryl Berkowitz ---she is very nice and knows those people so well --I know I wouldnt have gotten anything thru without her ---there is a set amount they can charge and its not too bad OHYEA about the dow corning VOTE -----did you file any papers with dow ? if not sometimes they had names that could file a gel claim ( that's the materials class --you would file under gel that was made by dow corning --) but the amounts are so small ---it is reduced by any amount you get from BMS IN THE RSP ---and then by 40 % after that so its small amounts for the gel claims but that may be why you got a vote ---they were so mixed up back during the GLOBAL AND THE FALL AND THE BANKRUPTCY AND THE RSP AND THE VOTE AND THE OPT-OUTS AND THE LAWYERS WHO DROPPED CLIENTS AND ECT. THAT THEY SENT A BALLOT TO EVERYONE THEY HAD IN THE BIG CLASS ACTION DATA BASE ---just a big mistake ----among the many ---HA -----WHO KNOWS REALLY ----LATER NOW CAROLINE 5. Knee Know-How Are you suffering from chronic knee pain? Don't let it leave you in the lurch. People who experience chronic knee pain, for example people with knee osteoarthritis, may find their balance deteriorating over time. That's because knee-supportive muscles can atrophy due to decreased use. However, you can help reverse this trend by maintaining knee and ankle strength with a weight-training program. RealAge Benefit: Lifting weights for 10 minutes just 3 times per week can make your RealAge as much as 1.7 years younger.