Saturday, June 02, 2007

Ethylene Glycol

This is the main ingredient in antifreeze. You know, the stuff you put into your vehicle.
It's also an ingredient being used in toothpaste from China. The FDA is advising consumers to get rid that toothpaste, as the ingredient could cause harm to the body. From the article:
The government warned consumers on Friday to avoid using toothpaste
made in China because it may contain a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze.
Out of caution, the Food and Drug Administration said, people should throw away
toothpaste with labeling that says it was made in China. The FDA is concerned
that these products may contain diethylene glycol.

The agency is not aware of any poisoning from toothpaste in the United
States, but it did find the antifreeze ingredient in a shipment at the U.S.
border and at two retail stores: a Dollar Plus store in Miami and a Todo A Peso
store in Puerto Rico.


So it doesn't seem we need to worry. Crest and our other main brands are not included in this list.

I don't just write this to warn you about your toothpaste. As I was reading the article in our paper this morning, a light went off in my head. DING! This was sounding familiar. Familiar, yet something wasn't matching up.

The government is warning us against this toothpaste because of a harmful ingredient it contains: Diethylene Glycol.
What I'd like to know is this: if it's not safe in our toothpaste, and the government will warn us against it in this case, why then will they consider this exact same ingredient safe for injecting into our bodies? Into our bloodstream? This same government is allowing this harmful ingredient to be in many vaccines.

I know. I get too passionate about this and get on my soapbox. I can't help it. It's too serious of an issue for me!
If it's not good, it's not good. Period. It's not safe for one part of the body, and unsafe for the other. It's a hazardous chemical. Yet, this ingredient is found in the DTaP, polio, Hib, and Hep B vaccines. (one of my sources: Dr. Stephanie Cave's book: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations) And each vaccine may only contain a small amount of the Ethylene Glycol, but our babies are told they need these shots over and over again. The amount starts to add up!

I think the CDC and FDA need to get it straight. Don't tell us it's unsafe in one instance, and then continue to allow it to be injected directly in to our bodies in another. Especially when it's our babies we're talking about.

Does anyone else see the irony here? The hypocrisy?

1 comment:

Jennifer said...

OMG, this same *light* went off in my head when I read that word! This kind of thing pisses me off so bad! All I have to say is "DUR!"