Should pregnant women who live and/or work around high levels of pesticide use, particularly on Kauai’s Westside, be concerned about birth defects?
A Honolulu law firm has recently been running radio advertisements on Kauai and Maui, stating:
“If you worked on a farm or lived close to the fields where pesticides were sprayed while you were pregnant, and your child was born with a birth defect…then your child may be entitled to significant compensation. Call 1-866-998-TOXIC (6942.)” https://galiherlaw.com/service/birth-defects/
Several physicians at Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital, located on Kauai’s Westside, believe there may be up to “10 times the national rate” of certain rare heart defects in newborns. READ ACTUAL EMAIL FROM PHYSICIAN (name redacted to protect their privacy): https://tinyurl.com/y7djq7t2
The agrochemical companies that use, manufacture and sell pesticides will tell you there is no evidence of a higher incidence of birth defects on Kauai or anywhere in Hawaii.
The companies, of course, have a vested interest in ensuring their profits and protecting themselves from lawsuits. The law firm, if successful in their lawsuits, also gains financial benefit. And the physicians acknowledge they have not conducted long term peer reviewed studies.
So, whom do you believe?
The State Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health, also state that there is no evidence of increased incidence of birth defects on Kauai.
However, the SDOA has no expertise dealing with complex health issues and neither agency has conducted any comprehensive studies regarding pesticides and birth defects in Hawaii.
Whenever SDOH testing is conducted, they always find evidence of pesticide drift.
When the SDOH tested streams on Kauai, they found atrazine and glyphosate. (1) When they tested the air at Waimea Canyon Middle School, they found chlorpyrifos, (2) a Restricted Use Pesticide and known neurotoxin. The amounts found are small but they should not be there at all. There is no consistent or comprehensive testing and the chronic health impacts have not been studied.
The SDOH maintains a “Birth Defect Registry.” The report presently posted online has not been updated since 2005. The SDOH is in the process of updating this data.(3)
Multiple sources confirm a strong association between pesticide exposure and birth defects. (4)
The United States Environmental Protection Agency: “Exposure to a variety of pesticides have been linked to increased risk of birth defects.”
American Pregnancy Association: “If you discover you are pregnant and you live near an agricultural area where pesticides are being used, it is advised you remove yourself to avoid exposure to these chemicals.” (5)
National Institute of Health: “A significant association was found between the season of elevated agrochemicals and birth defects.” (6)
American Academy of Pediatrics: “Chronic toxicity end points identified in epidemiologic studies include adverse birth outcomes including preterm birth, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies, pediatric cancers, neuro- behavioral and cognitive deficits, and asthma.” (7)
International news sources have reported on the concerns of local physicians who believe the rate of birth defects is higher than normal on Kauai. (8)
The May 25, 2016 State/County Joint Fact Finding Group concluded: “there is simply not enough information to definitively conclude if its (pesticides) use by the seed companies plays any adverse role in the health of Kauai’s residents or environment.” (9)
The report recommends increased testing, studies, buffer zones and other common-sense measures, which the governor, the legislature the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture have largely ignored.
In Hawaii, those who apply Restricted Use Pesticides in fields near communities, parks, schools and roadways, are not required to disclose which pesticides they are applying, the location, date, or time in which they are applied, thus making it impossible for any individual to make a truly informed decision.
My intention is not to instill fear, but to shed light on an important matter of public health. If you are pregnant, or considering becoming pregnant, and you live and/or work around areas with heavy pesticide use, you should consult a medical professional you trust, read the available literature, review the limited local data that is available and come to your own personal conclusions.
Footnotes
1. DOH Stream Study: http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=dcf02b8d5dcf4e0d9ed56e51c19b433b
2. DOH Waimea Canyon School Study: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Waimea-Canyon-Air-Study.pdf
3. DOH Statewide Pesticide Survey
http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=dcf02b8d5dcf4e0d9ed56e51c19b433b
4. Environmental Protection Agency
http://bit.ly/2AdzXNK
5. American Pregnancy Association
6. National Institute of Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2667895/
7. American Academy of Pediatrics
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2012/11/21/peds.2012-2757.full.pdf
8. International news about birth defects and pesticides in Hawaii
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/23/hawaii-birth-defects-pesticides-gmo
9. Joint Fact-Finding Study
https://jffkauai.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/jff-kauai-final-report1.pdf
•••
Gary Hooser formerly served in the state Senate, where he was majority leader. He also served for eight years on the Kauai County Council and was the former director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control. He serves presently in a volunteer capacity as board president of the Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA) and is executive director of the Pono Hawaii Initiative.
Ah, “not trying to instill fear” eh? Well, after lots and lots of debates, mainly created by your previous campaign of fear, data was carefully checked and no sign of increased birth defects was found. Now you write this article called “who do you believe “ just to continue your anti-scientific campaign of fear. Well I believe the DAYA, not you, Mr Hooser. That’s why we have science. That “one physician” who thinks they saw more birth defects is totally anecdotal evidence- and even though we now have data showing no evidence of problems, here you are again (and now it’s again and again) pushing your same old fake news. There’s NO EVIDENCE. Do Kauai a favor and quit beating this same dead horse. Who do I believe? Not you.
Mahalo Gary for a well researched fact-based letter on one of the most important AND contentious issues facing Kauai, particularly the Westside. To all the folks out there who believe what the chemical companies tell them, I can only guess that you work for them or are just not paying attention. Poison is poison and, generally speaking, harms just about everything it touches, whether the intended target or not. Although Mr. Hooser has his detractors, that’s usually the case with anyone who “speaks truth to power” and takes a stand that is based on reality rather than pandering to corporate power or popular opinion.
Oh, get off it, Andy. Hooser isn’t speaking truth and he’s totally pandering. The dose makes the poison. And many of us who don’t work for industry are indeed paying attention. We’re also smart enough to do our own research and draw our own conclusions.
Actually Andy, we listen to people from Cornell and Harvard; but, you don’t really care about that anymore than you care even a little about the Westside! You care about scoring points and preserving your position of respect in your own insular Northshore society. That’s easy! You can even use the tired and failed propaganda from two years ago like “chemical companies” and “Our only critics are their employees.” That didn’t work then and you don’t even care whether it works now!
Well, you certainly shouldn’t believe Hooser. Yes, HDOA does find pesticide drift — at levels far below EPA thresholds. And why does Hooser only focus on ag pesticides when termite and pest control companies use far more than all ag combined?
Hooser keeps banging the fear drum as a way to raise money and get political attention. It’s really pathetic when a politician stoops so low.
Like trump, hooser is a pathological liar. Both have given themselves permission to lie for political benefit. Being a liar put trump at the top for now. Being a liar put hooser into a steady decline and ultimately failure. Both, when their lies are exposed, double down on the lies and compound them. We shouldn’t be surprised by this feeble attempt at resurrecting the campaign of failure or the weekly series of Milquetoast articles that set it up. It’s merely double down time in his mind!
A few corrections and clarification. Joan, you should disclose that you are a paid managing editor for the Science Alliance who’s mission is to promote and defend the practices of the agrochemical industry. That is your job. To the other commenter, there are at least 4 physicians at KVMH that believe there are serious health problems concerning birth defects on the west side. The email refers to two different physicians but I have spoke with two others. I merely lay out the facts and arguments and am asking the reader to make their own decisions. Are any of my facts or statements incorrect? And Joan, please…the “dose makes the poison”? You can do better than that. Just repeating the talking points of the industry is beneath your ability as a thinking person and reputable journalist (choke). The world of science is aware of the difference between acute exposure and chronic exposure, you ignore it because you are a mouthpiece for the industry. Consistent small doses over time (chronic exposure) clearly cause health problems and while it has not been studied in Hawaii, this has been studied widely in other communities where there are large uses of pesticides and the results are clear.
Gary, thank you for proving yourself that you are a liar. Yes, I am the managing editor of the Alliance for Science, but our mission has nothing to do with the agrochemical industry or defending and promoting its practices. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. We promote biotech applications that actually reduce pesticide use, and that are owned and managed by farmer groups, not industry. I’ve pointed this out to you several times, but you keep repeating your lies. As for your comment about “exposure to repeated small doses,” you keep glossing over the reality that there is no evidence anyone — even seed workers — are being exposed to “repeated small doses.”
People can read for themselves about the organization you work for Joan. I encourage them to explore the site fully. No shortage of buzzwords like innovation, technological tools, biotech etc all code for genetic engineering. And it goes without saying the largest business engaged in this type of agriculture are the agrochemical companies. https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/embracing-gmo-science
Gary, your response here shows your profound ignorance of the issue. Yes, agrochemical entities are involved in genetic engineering. But so are public universities, government agencies and philanthropic groups. GMOs are far, far more than roundup ready and Monsanto. You really need to educate yourself!!
Gary, your comment underscores your deep ignorance about genetic engineering/biotechnology. Extensive work is being done by public universities, philanthropic organizations and government agencies across the globe. Genetic engineering is far, far more than roundup ready and Monsanto. I’ve told you this, but you refuse to admit it because it doesn’t fit your narrative. You need to educate yourself!
Unless, of course, you like telling lies.
Pete Antonson – You call me a pathological liar. Why don’t you tell the world what part of what I wrote is a lie? Or is it you who is the pathological liar?
Hey Pete- I actually did live on the Northshore for a brief time in 1978-1979 when I first arrived here but have been in the Kalaheo area since 1981 and spend most of my free time out west. Perhaps you have me confused with someone else- if you knew me you would know of at least some of the ways that I have shown my “care for the Westside” over the years. Again, mahalo Gary for your continued efforts!
I am one of the physicians that Mr. Hooser refers to above and in fact am responsible for raising the concern re: a cluster of certain birth defects on the Westside. The Joint Fact Finding Study released May/2016 does an excellent job of summarizing what we know and don’t know and should be read carefully by those expressing opinions. In regards to birth defects and neurodevelopment problems on the Westside the study clearly and carefully states that there is not accurate data to answer the question. The claim by Uncleania and others that the data show no evidence of increased incidence of birth defects or health problems is just not true. The Joint Fact Finding Study made specific recommendations re: getting accurate birth defects information. DOH and Dr. Pressler have made efforts since then to improve birth defects data gathering but still have not conducted the type investigation that would be required. The problem is with case ascertainment. HBDP and DOH data relies on ICD9/10 case identification primarily. There are multiple problems with this approach which I have raised with the Fact Finding Group:
1. There are multiple different EHR systems in hospitals, clinics and private physician offices that don’t interchange data and many DOH does not have access to. 2. ICD9/10 coding is driven by billing concerns not epidemiology needs and as such accurate coding of birth defects does not exist; coding at one hospital in question is not even done by physicians or clinicians but by billing clerks. 3. Many birth defects are not diagnosed at birth but later after leaving the birth hospital 4. Many birth defects do not ever require inpatient care and won’t show up in Hospital ICD9/10 data sets. I was asked to meet with and help DOH with their data by adding cases that “I was aware of”. I declined based on the adage that “no data is better than bad data”. Producing data based on individual clinician recall, mining inaccurate incomplete ICD 9/10 data sets produces bad data. And the problem with bad data is that people will use it for their own biased agenda; there does not exist any accurate data saying there is or there is not an increase in birth defects or neurodevelopment problems on the Westside of Kauai.
Accurate data is attainable but it would be very manpower and time intensive and so would be very expensive. 1000 births, 5 years of Westside births could be studied by pulling records of Hospitals and the primary pediatricians records, phone calls to parents, and analyzing by trained epidemiologists would do it. Epidemiologists know that the magnitude of affect of a drug or toxin determines the number of births that would need to be studied in order to show a statsitcally significant finding. I do not want to disparage Dr. Pressler and her colleagues. Maternal and Child Health Title V Block Grant Report released 7/17/17 shows the great work they are involved in and the priorities and demands on their limited resources. I don’t know if the Westside of Kauai families bear the burden of more birth defects because of pesticides and I am sure no one else knows either. But I do know that in other locations with larger populations good studies have shown a correlation between birth defects and neurobehavioral problems with pesticides. I do understand the importance of jobs and a healthy economy for the health of families. But I know many Westside families and none would trade the health of their treasured children for a job if they knew a risk existed. All use of pesticide on Kauai is a risk to our children not just from seed company use. But I think we are going at this all wrong. We know these chemicals have potential toxicities. Why do we as citizens, why do our government agencies have to bear the burden and cost of proving they are harmful? Why don’t we demand that the users of pesticides follow the Fact Finding Report and pay for the good studies, pay for biologic sampling and prove to us that they are safe?
riddle me this… How is it possible for the people around the seed farms to have a higher rate of illness than the workers who tend the fields? These workers are exposed to 10 times higher levels of these same chemicals working in the seed fields. What investigation into possible other causes for these birth defects are being done? Are there radon issues in the area? How about higher levels of alcohol abuse? After researching the subject, it’s my understanding that the leading cause of birth defects is Genetics. What DNA testing has been done on these families to determine if the birth defects are genetic? Other factors that can cause birth defects areImage result for environmental causes for birth defects
Other conditions that cause defects include rubella and chickenpox (varicella). Fortunately, many people get vaccinated against these diseases, so these infections are rare. Do you have a pocket of anti-vacers?
Brad, most field workers are imported contract labor not from Hawaii. They are here only for short periods and then return to wherever they are from. There is no ongoing health monitoring or even contact.
And Gary, why not name these “four physicians” if they’re so reputable and concerned so that we may talk to them and hear for ourselves, rather than have you interpret their views? Especially since I’ve proven you to be a liar and a manipulator of truth many times.
As much as i dislike condescending people, like most of the Reply comments, i have to share, that i have four mo’o, first born with and corrected Transfersed great arteries of the heart (TGA). He is now 13. sister siblings 5 and 2 hold spectrum autism places. Every second keiki born in kekaha has one malady or another DIRECTLY related to agri dou che baglets
And finally, Gary, the Alliance discloses all of our funding sources, and we won’t take any money from industry. Why do you refuse to reveal the funding sources for HAPA and PONO? How much do you get paid to run PONO? Isn’t it in your financial interest to keep stoking the fear so people donate to HAPA and PONO? That’s how conflict activism works.
I get paid nothing from HAPA. HAPA complies with all laws regarding disclosure. Why should I expose people who are supporting HAPA’s good work to trolls on the internet and industry shills who will bully and attack them? Since you asked, it gives me great pleasure to say that for 2017, the Pono Hawai‘i Initiative (PHI) has paid me less than the cost of a daily quad espresso and a plate lunch. Ok…now you tell me how much you get paid please.
So in other words, Hooser refuses to engage in the same transparency that he demands from others. He’s a hypocrite, as well as a liar!
The governor, the legislature the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture have largely ignored ignored the findings of the Kauai Joint “fact” finding “study” because their “results” are mostly made up. As for Gary’s remarks about Joan Conrow, I’d trust a writer who has actually talked to farmers, seed growers, pesticide applicators, state officials and industry specialist to report of factual, science based, production agricultural pesticide issues. As a farmer, I find her writings to be both truthful and informative. I lament the poor farmers of Hawaii who have to suffer from Hooser’s basis less attacks and wish them well in their fight to bring the truth to light.
Thank you for replying to the negative comments Gary. It is notable that those who think they have something to gain would write such comments.
Keep on keeping on keeping on Gary in the face of all this.
Except, Eleanor, those of us who have written have nothing to gain.
That is, aside from Gary, who makes money off promoting fear. Indeed, you are one of those who have fallen prey to his antics and contributed significant amounts. Wake up! You’re being snookered by a con artist!
Ugghhh… the eyerolls while reading this… I can’t deal….
Gary, BYE!!!
What are you even still doing on here? The fact that you are commenting on the comments is pathetic. Gotta get the last word in yea? Gotta try and still be relevant. You’re DONE. Get over your self. Get out of here.
No Gary, Whether Joan is paid or not I have no clue. The fact is that even if she ids paid. She is still correct. You have posted noting to prove otherwise. Also, your statement regarding the Alliance is a lie. They do a good bit of educating. The fact that you ignorantly oppose the truth regarding farm education doesn’t effect their mission. Which you misstated.
BTW Gary, your comment to Joan is nothing but the shill gambit of the clueless and fact free.
Now when someone asks me about Gary’s lies, I usually say: “How much time do you have?” I won’t do that here. We’ll just discuss two of many on this page:
Lie #1 on this page is his statement that “My intention is not to instill fear…” Gary’s history over the past few years has been to use fearmongering rumor and propaganda long after it had been successfully countered or debunked. Like the famous “18 tons.” This is the same as a lie. This was done for political gain and done now for HAPA fundraising
Lie #2 on this page is the lie of omission. Look at the difference between Gary’s language and content and that of Dr. Raelson. The Doctor actually makes a small reference to socioeconomic factors being linked to birth defects. Gary has always acted as if Kauai’s Westside is equivalent to Kahala and only one thing could explain birth defects. Nationwide, low socioeconomic areas that are 100 miles from agriculture suffer higher rates of birth defects for many reasons. Dr. Raelson also spends a lot of time qualifying his answer to the tune of “I don’t know if the Westside of Kauai families bear the burden of more birth defects because of pesticides and I am sure no one else knows either.” But Gary knows, by golly, so send him some money!!!
After 2 years of street marching momentum, those with critical thinking skills began to slowly make inroads exposing all the lies Gary’s movement was based on. It was crushed politically. We’re not letting it rise again for the sake of someone living off fundraising!
Come on Pete, you can do better than that. You say my intent is a lie? You say I lie through omission? Come on Pete, you called me a pathological liar. Surely you can come up with one teeny weeny real lie? Disgusting really. You pound on me and others from the safety of your keyboard. Why don’t you get out in the world yourself and do something positive? 2018 is an election year why don’t you run for office?
So Gary, you’ve descended into trumplike “I know you are but what am I” tweet style remarks?
I’m retired; but, I will be remembered on Kauai for twenty years of medical services, mainly to the children and elderly, in Kauai’s schools, Wilcox Hospital and private practice. In 1999, I helped set State standards for autism treatment and other disorders while Kauai was leading the rest of the State out from under a Federal Court on special education. I used honesty to bring about changes that people often resisted.
You will be remembered on Kauai as well!
Gary, I pointed out one of your lies and you refused to admit it. In fact, you twisted things further to try and make it seem like your lie wasn’t a lie.
Now that’s a true sign of a pathological liar! Glad to see so many people are on to you!
15 yrs. living next to the heavily pesticide fields in Kekaha, 7 yrs. doing home health nursing, in that area….willful ignorance, and arrogance is coming so loudly out of those Industry trolls above, would love to have had them walk in my shoes, see the families, see the patients that had bowel cancer, metastasized to the brain, how many families destroyed by their loved ones death, secumbing to that brain cancer….in such a small area, there was a cluster, data (?) none….now they have passed away and their stories will not be recorded…but I witnessed it first hand and the arrogance of those willfully ignorant Industry trolls above have no shame, if they could of seen what I witnessed, might instill some much needed humility. Thank you Gary for being a voice for them!
Karen Seaton, I’m glad to hear you’ve done research linking bowel cancer to living in Kekaha. This will really turn things around! I’m sure the peer review will completely ignore the rule: “Correlation doesn’t equal causation” and you’ll get an honorary Ph.D. When do you publish?
Karen, so much is wrong with your comment. None of us commenting are industry trolls. A state study found there is no cancer cluster on Kauai aside from melanoma on the North Shore. And many things can cause bowel cancer. Your remarks exemplify the kind of anecdotal, emotional, hysterical and willfully ignorant— to use your phrase — mindset that comprises Gary’s base of sheeple.
I find it incredible that there has been no data collection for over 10 years. The Kauai Democratic Party did submit a resolution to the state Democratic convention last year asking that the data be collected again. This resolution was submitted because the 2014 resolution was never aced on. However, the 2016 submission was ruled “out of order”, with no justification by Colleen Hanabusa and Michael Golojuch who were the co-chairs of the Resolution committee.
The 2014 resolution calling for restarting data collection can be found here: https://hidems.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/2014_hhs_resos.pdf
Whether there is or is not a problem on the West side cannot be determined unless the data is collected. That the representatives of government of the state of Hawaii have stopped this collection and have ignored all attempts to get it going again speaks loudly that there is some kind of cover up.
Mr. Antonson can make up all the data he wants, he may in fact be right, how is anyone who lives on Kauai to know?
If I recall, in 2014, the small group formed to represent the Democratic Party on Kauai was made up entirely of antiGMO fanatics in the early stages of learning how, like John Zwiebel, to become naive donnie trump enablers! They tried an end around at the convention and were rightfully crushed by the far less naive!
It’s sad that this extremely important issue here on Kaua‘i is isolated to only ag chemicals ( which are petro-chemicals made from oil and are carcinogenic) when the greater and wider issue is the other petroleum-chemicals used as additives and preservatives and FAKE Nutrients that are found in almost all packaged, canned, and bottled food and drinks. And you naively feed yourself and your innocent children those chemicals.
The epidemic rise in chronic Degenerative Diseases namely Obesity, Heart and Vascular Disease/Stroke, more and more new named Cancers, Diabetes, Kidney, and Liver Diseases is proof that the Medical Disease Care System is bankrupt as it applies to Health, but is $4,000,000,000,000.00 Trillion dollars a year profitable for the Big 4 of Disease Care regardless if it is Obama Care, Affordable Care, or Trump Care; they still get the $4 Trillion whether you live or die, while only a few pennies are thrown at known PREVENTIONs of disease…
Prevention of Disease is the Cause of Health.
Who are the Big 4 you say? 1.) Health Insurance Companies, 2.) Pharmaceutical Companies which are the Petro-Chemical Companies, cousins of the same companies that make the Ag chemical poisons, 3.) Hospitals, and 4.) Doctors
Since the end of World War II THE EXPLOSION OF CHEMICAL USES has worn such a deep rut of toleration in our collective thinking and forgiving of these chemicals, that if it were any worse it may make people think that government and industry along with medical disease Care was intent on keeping all of us ignorant and stupid and at the bottom of the pyramid of Massive Profits for corporate top people while scraps are thrown to the donkeys in the down line.
For too many life is not important until you are near the end. What fools we mortals be.
It is a slap in the face of every student from Kindergarten through college that their education does not include the billions of miracles of their body’s cells, tissues, organs, and functions which EDUCATION would collectively teach you which part of all poisons you should avoid…that’s right…AVOID ALL POISONS AND MOST CHEMICALS.
Almost all medicines are chemicals and almost all work by toxic poisoning of your body.
Remember when you go into the hospitals and doctor offices, the Voice whispering down to you in the ceiling is saying…”We’ve been waiting for you…!” Because that VOICE knows it’s the chemicals in and on your food and MEDICINES AND the chemicals and diseases in the animals you eat.
You can’t expect to eat the same chemicals over and over and a expect a different result…like expecting health for a change, wouldn’t that be nice for a real change…HEALTH
Health is not a mystery! We think the belief in chemicals made from oil is a CULT based on profit.
Mahalo,
Charles
Charlie, you are Quackery’s best friend!
Some of the newcomers, like Saturday’s LTE author may benefit from a summary of recent events:
It all really started in January 2013 when Hawaii Seed, who had mustered only 6 people with signs at the airport, used some of their million dollars from a Minnesota antiGMO trust fund to fly in Vandana Shiva; one of the world’s foremost frauds and liars. She is good at it. Next, people are marching down Lihue streets! Gary saw a chance to get off the bottom end of the Council voting. A campaign of lies and propaganda began and was joined by several carpetbaggers from Mainland activist groups that live on fundraising efforts like this turned out to be. They had a big head start; but, gradually people with critical thinking skills started to make progress against all the emotion words like “poison” evoke. Some had actually taken free tours on the Westside farms that Gary never placed a foot on, You can do that too! You can meet some of the scientists and fieldworkers who live on the same streets as others on the Westside and have families breathing the same air!
It became clear in the election results that the support for the “movement” was almost completely on the far removed Northshore of Kauai. The “movement” was eventually crushed politically. Some of the Mainland carpetbaggers filed lawsuits because they are very good fundraisers. You’ve seen Gary trying to rise from the ashes because he’s a fundraiser for a group he started which I won’t name for him.
Keep in mind that in Europe, the Organic Grower Associations are the big guys with political clout and money. They give Greenpeace $257 million annually to conduct propaganda campaigns. Greenpeace has become corrupted by this and is no longer led by a single scientist. Please put your “it’s poison” emotions aside and investigate the best efforts of modern science. When someone wants to ban the current best seller that is nontoxic to humans and resists runoff due to years of research, ask what it will be replaced with and how toxic that is. If they say “little bottles of vinegar” like for home gardeners, just walk away!
The question is not who do you believe ?
The questions are who do you TRUST ?
And who is telling the TRUTH ?
Charlie
That’s a great creed for 2017, Charlie. I think I’ve heard trump supporter chanting it.
I have 6 years of study and 20 years of experience backing my medical degrees. Most people I worked with had a lot more!
What credentials do you have supporting you, Charlie?
Liar liar paints on fire.. who do we believe? I just can’t let this one go by. Everyone is calling someone a liar. So here I go! You really can’t take anything seriously that comes from the mouth of the buffoon. (By now you all know his typical verbage, sarcasm and nonsensical rants). Yes, you know who. MR. P! He expounds like he knows it all and is quick to judge and ridicule people. Now he sits safely behind his computer screen in the Philippines after having to retire out of the USA. 20 years of medical service on Kauai with medical degrees you say? You went back to school to become a speech pathologist after loosing your job as an air traffic controller. (And a audiologist). You helped children with speech issues and later on at Wilcox hospital for people with strokes. That requires no medical degree. Hardly the medical degrees you are alluding to to make you a qualified medical professional. You are king of pathological liars! So readers, please do not be offended by his rants. And If it where up to me, you would be known in Kauai for something else.
Mr. Hoosier, thank you for the article. Personally, I trust no one when they say something is safe. Not a doctor or scientist. We have had decades of people telling us products a safe, and they are not in many cases. They all get paid by someone to say so. Very few people have an allegence to no one. So everything is going to be a debate. Its our responsibility to check the facts out if it is something that we are concerned about.
Master’s degrees in Speech Pathology and in Audiology are correctly referred to as “medical degrees.”
Pete, You always speak like you know everything. But passing yourself off as having a medical degree? You don’t even know that your certification as a speech pathologist is not referred to as a medical degree? Perhaps if you went for a PhD you then could say you have a doctorate. But right now, you just have a certificate. So when you say, I quote “ I have 6 years of study and 20 years of experience backing my medical degrees”. You really should say, “I went back to school to get a speech pathology degree and worked with children for 20 years”. Which makes you no more of an authority on bio chemicals, disease or birth defects. You are not superior to others on this thread by saying that.
So for your information.
Although speech and language professionals work closely with teachers, physicians, psychologists, social workers, and rehabilitation counselors, and other members of an interdisciplinary team, they are autonomous and do not work under direct medical supervision.
It is considered a health care degree or allied health professional. So please refer to your credentials correctly.
Defined:
A medical degree is a vocational, or even technical, degree awarded for studies in fields associated with medicine and surgery.
From the University brochure:
The Master of Science program in Medical Speech-Language Pathology (MedSLP) is within the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders in the School of Medicine. When you complete the MedSLP program, you will earn a Master of Science degree in Medical Speech-Language Pathology and be eligible to apply for ASHA’s Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC).
The snarky “…having to retire out of the USA…” was most revealing. My choice was an upgrade; just like Hawaii was to California! Now that my wife has just passed the bar exam here, and we are no longer obliged to be within driving distance of her University, we are looking at several incredibly affordable beach properties where the sand is whiter, the water warmer, and no people venture. You see, here you own the beach as well! Last week I brunched at California Pizza Kitchen and stopped at Ace Hardware on the way back to my gated village. You have no idea what life here is like!
sorry Pete…..speech therapy degree is NOT a
‘medical degree’. Nice try, though.
Ruthann Jones,
Saying “No it’s not” hasn’t been enough since…oh…let’s see….the second grade?
The argument is supposed to be about the use of the phrase in the context of my December 5, 2017 3:10 am remark; which was the least important part of that remark. A second look might clue you that you jumped in the middle of someone with a personal axe to grind against me!
Pete, I think everyone is pretty much sick of reading your sorry remarks on these posts. I don’t think when I said you had to move out of the country was revealing enough. When I said that, I was referring to the fact that I should have turned you into the DOE for what you were doing. If I did, you would be likely dealing with the justice system. Unfortunately, you are in the land of plenty for the type of activities you like to do on the internet. Now you are bragging that you can do it behind a gate now and more secretly. And your bonus, your Internet bride gets to support your sorry butt. I regret not turning you in. DO us all a service and disappear from trolling the internet.