Reply #7: Environment = Public Health

[KT2000]

(my mantra)

There is a great article, "The Rise and Fall of Occupational Medicine in the United States" by Jospeh LaDou, MD Am J Prev Med 2002;22(4):285-295 May still be accessible through:
http://occ-env-med.mc.duke.edu/oem/ladou.htm

this is the history that describes a rather incidious take-over of occ/env medicine. I'm not talking about an overt take-over but just the carrot$$ and sticks that are offered to the medical community to follow the wishes of the corporate benefactors. Many times doctors do not realize they have been "trained" into promoting the corporate interests.

In my interest in 9/11, I came across a most ironic story that came out of this event. You can see some of this info on the Duke chat for 9/01.

Dr. Irving Selikoff (1915-1992) and his associates were the ones who identified the link between asbestos and lung disease. He was elated because his discovery meant that most illnesses could now be prevented. The link between environment and illness had been established.

They were mid-way in the construction of the WTC in NY when Dr. Selikoff and others were horrified by the careless handling of asbestos - it was all over lower Manhattan contaminating workers and residents. They were able to stop that and have construction methods changed from asbestos to other materials.
Dr. Selikoff was a well respected, courageous advocate for PEOPLE and their health. He was honored by having the occ/environmental health clinic at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC named after him.

Dr. Philip Landrigan now heads that clinic. He has been an advocate for a cleaner environment for children's health and often testifies before gov. agencies for better health protections. But I am afraid that in the aftermath of 9/11 he weakened to the power of the EPA. He is now an advocate for monitoring the sick but at the time he failed to advocate for the health of the people in NYC. I recall in one NYT article, he joined the reporter in minimizing the environmental dangers, even making fun of a woman they witnessed wearing a mask and carrying an air cleaner on her way to work. He was one of the best and even he broke to their will.

Dancing Dave, it looks like not many are even interested in this issue, which is too bad because of all the issues on the table, environment dictates the health of our population and the viability of the next generation - and we are failing miserably.

New Yorkers must prevail in this fight.