September, 01 2009, 01:36pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Email:,info(at)fwwatch(dot)org,Seth Gladstone -,sgladstone@fwwatch.org
Food & Water Watch Lauds Canadian Medical Association's Stance Against Triclosan
Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch Executive Director
WASHINGTON
"Last week, the Canadian Medical Association called for a federal
ban on the use of antimicrobials in personal care products such as
those containing the pesticide triclosan. A federal ban in Canada would
place much needed pressure on regulatory bodies in the United States to
tackle this pressing human and environmental health problem.
"Regulated by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), triclosan is
commonly found in hand soaps, toothpastes, deodorants, laundry
detergents, fabric softeners, facial tissues, antiseptics, fabrics,
toys, and medical devices. Scientific studies indicate that widespread
use of triclosan causes a number of health and environmental problems.
Chief among those is resistance to antibiotic medications and bacterial
cleansers and disruption of hormone cycles. As triclosan is toxic to
algae, a key indicator of aquatic health and the cornerstone of the
food system, accumulation of the pesticide in waterways is especially
dangerous. In June, a joint research study issued by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Environment Canada; and the
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University
found that for the first time, triclosan is showing up in the
bloodstream of marine mammals.
"The Canadian Medical Association's resolution echoes a statement
issued in 2000 by the American Medical Association that found little
evidence to support the efficacy of antimicrobials in consumer
products, and announced that it would be 'prudent to avoid their use'
in such applications, given the risk of antimicrobial resistance. No
further action has been taken by the American Medical Association on
triclosan since that statement was released. In July of this year, Food
& Water Watch partnered with the environmental and public health
organization Beyond Pesticides to submit a petition to FDA asking that
it ban triclosan from all non-medical applications on the basis that
those uses violate the Federal, Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act.
"In the face of government inaction, a number of utilities around
the country, including California's East Bay Municipal Utility District
and Palo Alto's water utility have encouraged citizens to limit their
use of triclosan. For it's part, Food & Water Watch is working to
raise public awareness and educate consumers about the problems
associated with triclosan. As of September, 2009, some 1,900 activists
have taken our pledge to not purchase products that contain this
pesticide. Food & Water Watch applauds the Canadian Medical
Association for its commitment to protecting consumers from this
dangerous and unnecessary pesticide and urges FDA to follow suit by
banning the use of triclosan in consumer products."
Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people's health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.
(202) 683-2500LATEST NEWS
Sanders Says 'Political Movement,' Not Murder, Is the Path to Medicare for All
"Killing people is not the way we're going to reform our healthcare system," he said. "The way we're going to reform our healthcare system is having people come together."
Dec 12, 2024
Addressing the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and conversations it has sparked about the country's for-profit system, longtime Medicare for All advocate Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday condemned the murder and stressed that getting to universal coverage will require a movement challenging corporate money in politics.
"Look, when we talk about the healthcare crisis, in my view, and I think the view of a majority of Americans, the current system is broken, it is dysfunctional, it is cruel, and it is wildly inefficient—far too expensive," said Sanders (I-Vt.), whose position is backed up by various polls.
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"Killing people is not the way we're going to reform our healthcare system," Sanders added. "The way we're going to reform our healthcare system is having people come together and understanding that it is the right of every American to be able to walk into a doctor's office when they need to and not have to take out their wallet."
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Sanders—one of the few members of Congress who regularly talks about Medicare for All—isn't alone in suggesting that unsympathetic responses to Thompson's murder can be explained by a privatized healthcare system that fails so many people.
In addition to highlighting Sanders' interview on social media, Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) pointed out to Business Insider on Wednesday that "you've got thousands of people that are sharing their stories of frustration" in the wake of Thompson's death.
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Two other Medicare for All advocates, Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), also made clear to Business Insider that they oppose Thompson's murder but understand some of the responses to it.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—a co-sponsor of Sanders' Medicare for All Act—similarly toldHuffPost in a Tuesday interview, "The visceral response from people across this country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the healthcare system."
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Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) 2024 roundup, which was published Thursday, found that at least 54 journalists were killed on the job or in connection with their work this year, and 18 of them were killed by Israeli armed forces (16 in Palestine, and two in Lebanon).
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Meanwhile, in a statement released Thursday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) announced that at least 139 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed since the war in Gaza began in 2023, and in a statement released Wednesday, IFJ announced that 104 journalists had perished worldwide this year (which includes deaths from January 1 through December 10). IFJ's number for all of 2024 appears to be higher than RSF because RSF is only counting deaths that occurred "on the job or in connection with their work."
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According to the FTC:
Under the Robinson-Patman Act, it is generally illegal for sellers to engage in price discrimination that harms competition by charging higher prices to disfavored retailers that purchase similar goods. The FTC's case filed today seeks to ensure that businesses of all sizes compete on a level playing field with equivalent access to discounts and rebates, which means increased consumer choice and the ability to pass on lower prices to consumers shopping across independent retailers.
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