Will a memorial to Chunky Monkey
consumers be next?

By Steven Milloy and Michael Gough
Copyright 2000 The Washington Times
April 30, 2000

James Zumwalt's April 25 Commentary column, "Honoring all who died," has noble intentions but lacks a factual basis. Mr. Zumwalt urges a memorial for Vietnam veterans who died as a result of Agent Orange exposure and suicides related to post-traumatic stress disorder.

No credible scientific evidence exists that Agent Orange has caused harm to human health. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Board concluded that dioxin, the substance of concern in Agent Orange, has caused no health effects except for a skin disease seen at very high exposure levels.

Tests for dioxin in U.S. ground troops serving in areas sprayed by Agent Orange indicate there were no measurable exposures. There is no excess mortality among U.S. Air Force personnel who sprayed 90 percent of the Agent Orange and definitely were exposed.

The hype surrounding dioxin is best deflated by our recent study measuring the level of dioxin in a serving of Ben & Jerry's ice cream at about 200 times the EPA's so-called "safe" level. Ben & Jerry's claims, "The only safe level of dioxin exposure is no exposure at all," but no one is rushing to build a monument to consumers of Chunky Monkey.

Finally, there is no question that suicides have been elevated in combat veterans. A monument would be better dedicated to all combat veterans whose minds were so damaged that they took their own lives.

STEVEN MILLOY
Publisher
Junkscience.com
Potomac

MICHAEL GOUGH
Bethesda
Michael Gough was chairman (1990-95) of the Department of Health and Human Services' advisory panel to the U.S. Air Force study of the effects of Agent Orange.