The Naive Notion That Government Will Protect You
Get a fire extinguisher, because government regulators could stop Anthelios
Europeans had been using it for eons. And nobody, you know, burst into flame or anything. But that wasn't good enough for our FDA.
Meanwhile, Banana Boat had no problem selling a sunscreen that could catch you on fire. They've since reported the issue to the FDA and voluntarily recalled the stuff -- a message which may or may not get to all the people who smoke big cigars while applying sunblock.
There are two sides to that coin. Thalidomide was in general use in
Europe for years, too. UK approved it in 1958 and withdrew the
approval in 1961. The FDA never approved it.
Ron at October 21, 2012 4:49 AM
Why is it that individual cases are called as the rule here?
Is it because no one can actually remember when anyone could sell anything, poisonous or not, and get away with it?
HERE is the Emergency Response Guidebook, one of many publications on how to deal with the millions of tons of deadly cargo being shipped daily in the USA.
Should that go away? Is not getting sunscreen a reason to scrap entire programs?
Radwaste at October 21, 2012 3:44 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/10/the-naive-notio.html#comment-3399177">comment from RadwasteGovernment also tells you to eat a high-carb, lowfat diet in order to be slim and healthy -- precisely the diet that will make you fat and diabetic.
I'd trust the homeless guy who sat next to me at the cafe yesterday before I'd trust the government for advice.
Amy Alkon
at October 21, 2012 4:44 PM
Ok, that's two cases.
Gonna shut down consumer protections now?
If you've suggested correcting these agencies, I'm making a mistake. But I think clarification is in order.
Radwaste at October 21, 2012 6:20 PM
Thalidomide was half a century ago, when the discipline of drug testing was in its infancy. It's illustrating that no one can point to a more recent example.
On the contrary, the FDA will ban a drug even when the risks associciated with side effects of the drug is less than the risk of not having the drug available. I know a lady who suffers from severe rheumatoid arthritis. Vioxx gave her her life back. And then the FDA took it away. She now has severe health issues associated with the arthritis and probably won't live to be 60.
Cousin Dave at October 22, 2012 8:46 AM
Amy, are you talking about the sunscreen ingredient Mexoryl/encamsule? I think that was approved several years ago. You can buy Anthelios with Mexoryl SX and XL now.
Some of the La Roche Posay sunscreens switched over to avobenzone in their formulas--even in Europe where I last bought it in March--but I'm not sure why, because Mexoryl was supposed to be the holy grail.
I'm a big sunscreen nut. I hear people say that Mexoryl is superior to other UVA blockers (avobenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide), but I haven't yet seen research that proves that by directly comparing them.
Insufficient Poison at October 22, 2012 12:04 PM
I recommend that anyone who believes "That Government Will Protect You" take a look at this website.
Jim P. at October 22, 2012 8:34 PM
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