Regina Benjamin Surgeon General
Posted on 03/16/2011 9:26:24 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Why do we have a Surgeon General? The position (which once used to involve running the Public Health Service) no longer carries any meaningful administrative responsibilities; it’s almost purely symbolic. The Surgeon General educates the public about various health-related issues. In practice, this generally means that Surgeons General act as secular preachers, wagging a finger at the American people for various vices like smoking and drinking. It is hard to see any real case for such a position in the federal government (a few years ago I argued in NR (subscription required) that the position should be eliminated or transformed back into one with actual administrative functions.)
But once in a while, when a real public-health concern emerges or when a concern is overblown and causes a needless panic, it can be useful to have some federal official lay out the facts with some authority. The director of the Centers for Disease Control could surely play this role, but since we do have a Surgeon General, all dressed up in a spiffy pseudo-military uniform no less, it makes sense for the Surgeon General to play that role when situations require it.
That is why yesterday’s reckless remark by Surgeon General Regina Benjamin was so outrageous. Asked by a reporter about the fact that people on the west coast, concerned that radiation from the Japanese nuclear reactors would be carried across the ocean, were stocking up on potassium iodide tablets (which are used to prevent radiation sickness), Benjamin said she thought this was a sensible precaution, and that it made sense to be prepared. Her statement flatly contradicted what public health officials across the west coast had been saying for days, and only added to the (at this point completely and utterly baseless) unease in California, Oregon, and Washington about the potential for fallout reaching our shores.
Potassium iodide is not only not a sensible precaution for Americans at this point, it can also be extremely dangerous for people with certain common allergies (like allergies to shellfish). And encouraging individuals to buy these pills is not part of any government response plan, even in the case of an actual radiation danger on American shores. The federal government has huge stockpiles of potassium iodide tablets formulated specifically for radiation emergencies that would be made available if the need arose (as the Japanese government is doing now, though even there they are being distributed only to people in close proximity to the reactors, as they would not be useful to people further away.)
Benjamin had clearly not thought through her remark—she started her answer by saying she hadn’t even been aware that people were stocking up. But that’s just the point. If the Surgeon General isn’t going to be useful on those rare instances when we could really use an official and authoritative voice on public health, then what is the point of her office? Do projects like her “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding” (the latest major project of the Surgeon General’s office) really merit the resources involved? It’s hard to see how they would, especially when the Surgeon General makes actual public health panics worse.
If you live on the earthquake prone, nuclear power plant laden west coast, doesn’t it make sense to have a supply of potassium iodate? (offering protection against thyroid cancer due to radiation) Doesn’t it make sense to prepare for contingencies, even if a nuclear plume from Japan (who knows) doesn’t occur?
Not for me. I’m sure that the potassium iodide would cause me to choke to death. I would swell up like a balloon.
How is hubby doing?
He’s doing great, as far as we know. Thanks for asking. He goes for daily radiation treatments through 4/19 and then he’ll have followup tests for ??? He’s part of a long-term study, so it’s likely that he’ll have more MRIs for longer than most patients.
He’s being treated by a wonderful team at an outstanding hospital. I can’t say enough for them. He’ll have a “funny” scar on his head for the rest of his days, but that is a small sacrifice compared to the alternative.
I live 12 miles from San Onofre and I wouldn’t even consider it if it was free!
Kinda makes me miss Joycelyn Elders. She would have at least been... ahem... “Unavailable for comment at this time”. (I’d go into details, but this is a family site!)
Regina Benjamin Surgeon General
You’re probably ok being a good distance from Japan.
The rate of exposure on site in Japan is currently about 10 milliSieverts per hour.
The original allowable maximum for site workers was 100, which was recently increased to 250.
I doubt you are receiving this high of an exposure.
However, the Surgeon General has stated that there is no safe level of cigarette smoke.
So if you smell a cigarette, I guess you’ll have to go to the emergency room as fast as possible for treatment.
The radiation is, apparently, much safer.
I travel in my work, and the Lord placed me near one of the best Neuro surgeons in the world. God is great, He gets the glory, it is all part of His plan.
I don’t know why everyne is knocking Benjamin and her remarks. She is erring on the side of caution and reason, IMHO.
No one is being FORCED to take potassium iodide. You are all being encouraged to do your own research and make up your own mind.
Like they say in Brooklyn—”It couldn’t hurt”. It couldn’t hurt to put in a supply of patassium iodide, esp. if you have young children. Keep an eye on the radiation levels in your area. Use the KI as indicated by your pediatrician.
The Surgeon General doesn't run the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps? I confess, that's news to me...
Actually, if you dig into the boilerplate on Obamacare, they are eventually going to end up running some sort of quasi-military Public Health Corps. Sort of an SS that orders you to turn your head and cough...
Your comments are interesting, although I think the fear factor is terribly overblown. It is dangerous to have people self medicating without knowing what they are doing. In my case, for instance, my allergy to all iodine products would probably kill me if I took a dose of that stuff. And my particular allergy (shrimp) is the most common allergy known. Can’t you just see the emergency rooms overrun with people needing epipens?
My husband had a non-malignent (they think) brain tumor removed in January and he receives targeted doses of radiation DAILY and will for 6 weeks. I’m sure that he is getting more radiation than the workers on-site in Japan.
See #19
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