Map of life expectancy at birth from Global Education Project.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The Inbox


I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I am under a continual bombardment of e-mails from publicists who would have to be out of their minds to think I have any interest other than scathing, boiling contempt for their scumbag clients. The latest is a clown who claims to be the "immediate past president of the Arizona Homeopathic and Integrative Medical Association, and the clinic director of Integrative Medicine of the American Medical College of Homeopathy." He wants me to read his book about how I can detoxify myself from heavy metals through chelation therapy.

The mystery is why these con artists aren't prosecuted for fraud. If you take people's money under false pretenses, that's a crime, right? That certainly applies to homeopathy, which is utterly absurd. If you tell me you can improve my gas mileage by attaching magnets to the fuel line or some such, and accept payment in exchange, you have stolen from me and you are a criminal. If you tell me you can cure my diseases by giving me a small vial of water, or by giving me chelation therapy even though I do not, in fact, have heavy metal poisoning, you are trying to steal from me. In fact, you are risking my life and my health, sayeth the FDA:

There are serious safety issues associated with chelation products, which can alter the levels of certain substances in the blood.  Even when used under medical supervision, these products can cause serious harm, including dehydration, kidney failure, and death.  
 
“These products are dangerously misleading because they are targeted to patients with serious conditions and limited treatment options,” said Deborah Autor, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The FDA must take a firm stand against companies who prey on the vulnerability of patients seeking hope and relief.”
 
The agency advises consumers to avoid non-prescription products offered for chelation or detoxification. The only FDA-approved chelating agents are available by prescription only and are approved for use in specific indications such as lead poisoning and iron overload. Procedures involving these agents carry significant risks and should be performed only under medical supervision.


This guy is a flat out criminal. He should be prosecuted. That is all.

1 comment:

Don Quixote said...

Well, I know this is off-topic, but am I the only person who thinks Ted Cruz has a really scary visage? Methinks his face looks very plastic-like, and has sort of a creepy resemblance to a circus clown. There's something weird there, not counting what's behind the face.