Page 29 - Spring2015

The cost of managing chronic illness in the ciples of Toxicology, Drs. Karen E. Stine and If we educate
U.S. alone is staggering. Estimates from the Cen- Thomas M. Brown, “Toxicology is the science
ters for Disease Control put the number at nine of poisons and has as its focus the study of the ourselves as to
hundred eight billion dollars a year. Three out adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. which toxins
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of every four dollars spent in today’s healthcare Although any substance in sufficient quantities we are exposed
system is on chronic illness. Obesity has become (even water) can be a poison, toxicology focuses
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epidemic, which is a grave concern to health primarily on substances that can cause these to and how
experts as it dramatically increases the risk of adverse effects when administered in relatively to avoid them
developing coronary heart disease and diabetes. small quantities.” through our
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The most disturbing part of this situation is how While the topic of toxicity and how it affects
it is affecting the young. Over the past twenty human health is a complex and difficult one, I choices as
years, the rate of obesity amongst two- to eleven- believe that if you know your enemy (toxins) you consumers,
years-olds has almost tripled while in twelve- to are better able to defeat them or avoid them. we can make
nineteen-year-olds it has tripled. One in three
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children born today is likely to develop type 2 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE the necessary
diabetes in his or her lifetime. When we look at the historical records we changes.
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If we do not face the reality of the cost—both find that humans were aware of substances that
in dollars and in suffering—of chronic illness, adversely affected our health for millennia.
our society faces a crisis far greater than the The ancient Romans were well aware that the
threat of terrorism. In 2004, I gave a speech in smokestacks that belched toxic fumes from metal
Bellevue, Washington where I proposed that the smelting caused birth defects. The writer Strabo
healthcare system in the U.S. would financially commented that they needed to build taller and
collapse within twenty years if this emergency of taller chimneys to force the fumes further from
chronic illness was not addressed and dealt with. the cities. By looking at the ice caps in Green-
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No amount of healthcare reform would resolve land we have noted that lead levels in the atmo-
this catastrophe. sphere during the time of Roman prominence
Much can and needs to be done in order to were much higher than the times immediately
deal with the issue of chronic illness, and the before and after.
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first step is to acknowledge the problem with It has also been postulated that the fall of the
environmental toxicity. Rachel Carson warned Roman Empire was in part due to their exposure
us in 1962 in her landmark book, Silent Spring. 7 to lead. Much of this came from lead-based gob-
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It would eventually lead to the formation of the lets and water pipes, especially those used by the
Environmental Protection Agency a decade later, wealthier citizens. We now know that lead, even
but now we are faced with a government more in the smallest doses, can lower IQ, especially
interested in corporate profits than in the health in children. In a paper published in The New
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of its citizens as legislation is being drawn up to England Journal of Medicine, the authors saw
strip the EPA of much of its power. that drops in IQ were higher even in the lowest
The only way for people to have their voices exposure levels. Their conclusion was that no
heard is through education, personal responsibil- level of lead is acceptable in children.
ity, and the power of the purse. If we educate Other civilizations have grappled with toxic-
ourselves as to which toxins we are exposed to ity problems but none in quite the same quantity
and how to avoid them through our choices as as in today’s world. If even small amounts of
consumers, we can make the necessary changes. toxins can cause neurological problems, why
In this article I hope to inform readers on how are we not surprised by the explosive increase
to protect themselves and their families as well in disorders like autism and ADHD in children
as society as a whole. and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in adults? 13
Before we delve more deeply into the subject While heavy metals have a long history with
of toxicity and chronic illness we need to define human populations, petrochemicals do not. Al-
the term toxicity and the study of it, toxicology. though the use of petroleum goes back thousands
Here I would like to quote the authors of Prin- of years, its uses were limited. It wasn’t until
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