Army Withholds Chemical Attack Antidote

[Tellurian]

WASHINGTON - Despite the interest of emergency officials, the government is refusing to provide U.S. communities an antidote controlled by the Army and stockpiled by other countries to treat victims of a chemical terror attack.

The product, Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion, was developed by the Canadian military years ago, won Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) approval in 2003 and is sold in other NATO (news - web sites) countries for neutralizing sarin, mustard gas and other chemical agents.

It is being tested by the Army. But the companies that make it aren't permitted to sell it or even advertise it to state and local governments in the United States.

"Right now they have no product to decontaminate people other than soap and water," said Phil O'Dell, president of O'Dell Engineering, a Canadian-based company licensed by the Canadian government to sell the lotion. "There is only one FDA-approved. It's the RSDL. These first responders correctly have been trying to buy RSDL since FDA approval."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=718&e=6&u=/ap/20040610/ap_on_re_us/chemical_attacks_antidote

[newscaster]

1. Isnt this terrific?

I guess this is what compassionate conservatism is all about.

[Joanne98]

2. This is a wierd story

I wonder what they're up too.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. So why hasn't someone created a black market for it yet?

Works with everything else.

[LSK]

4. this is how it works

Our lovely government will not allow a foreign company to sell medicine. It will leave our citizens at risk until an American Corp can make the same thing and then and only then will the public have the cure in their hands.

Once again the government puts Corporations over People.

[DeadHead67]

5. AND. . . .

It'll be so expensive IF EVEN AVAILABLE, that most of us will be unable to get it. Maybe you'll have to be a card carrying Repuke.

[Tellurian]

8. Yep, I think you nailed it...Repukes..Antidotes-R-US. nt

[Sindawe]

6. By the Gods!!!

This is such a load of dren! From what I read, the FDA is basing their ruling on the fact that the freaking ARMY got the approval for this. Hmmmm...last time I looked, the U.S. Military is an arm of the U.S. Federal .gov, which is a servent of the States, and hence the People of America. That makes the Army OUR servants, and the approval for this held by us, the citizens of the U.S. enmass. So we collectivly dedice to charge a nominal liscense fee for manufature in the U.S., and perhaps a reasonable (no more than a few cents, a buck at most) import duty on this product imported from overseas.

The Army has argued, based again on the reports I've read, that they are concerned with possible adverse intactions with bleach. OK, so put a frellining warning label on it to the effect of:

WARNING! The effects of combining this product with household bleach us currently unknown. DO NOT USE WITH HOUSEHOLD BLEACH!!!! If you do use this product with bleach, and it injures or kills you, ITS YOUR OWN FAULT AND WE BEAR NO RESPONSABILITY FOR YOU BEING AS SMART AS A BOX OF ROCKS!!!

[delete_bush]

7. It's because they haven't yet figured

out how to make the antidote effective only for repukes. When they do, and it's only a matter of time, it will be made available via Fox News and the RNC.

[Tellurian]

9. Read the crawler on the 700 club show...nt

[uhhuh]

10. How can we suffer a horrible terrorist

chemical attack if we can treat people? It might only result in the deaths of a few. How is that supposed to get the chimp selected?

[Moderator]

11. duplicate

Please consolidate discussion in the earlier thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=614757