Benzene Leukemia Law Blog : Benzene and Leukemia Lawyer & Attorney : Burke & Eisner Law Firm : Benzene Exposure, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

The House of Representatives has just passed legislation 298-112 giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) power to regulate tobacco companies. The bill has yet to go before the senate.

The legislation would grant the FDA powers to restrict harmful chemicals added to tobacco products, and allow it reject new tobacco products.

The list of chemicals routinely added to tobacco products is to long post here, but here are just a few:

• Benzene -- linked to acute myelogenous leukemia, and blood disorders such as aplastic anemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes.
• Fungicides and pesticides --linked to cancers and birth defects.
• Cadmium -- linked to lung and prostate cancer.
• Formaldehyde -- linked to lung cancer.

The tobacco industry is the only one allowed to deliberately poison people.

Though the bill is supported by the while house and is being hailed as a major victory for those who have been working regulate big tobacco, a question comes to mind.

Why is big tobacco allowed to deliberately poison people?

Even if the FDA did force them to remove some chemicals, the product, when used as directed, would still cause consumers to die.

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In May we wrote about a young man, 8 year-old Garrett Kaulbars, who had been diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia.  Garrett was fortunate to have a twin brother, Tanner, who was a perfect match for Garrett to have a bone marrow transplant.  The transplant  took place on May 27th and now Garrett waits and waits and waits.   What he really wants is to have seafood at the Red Lobster but that can't happen until after September 4th.

September 4th is Garrett's 100-day anniversary of his bone marrow transplant.  That is the date on which, if things continue to go well, he will be considered out of the woods and be allowed to do things  like going out for seafood.    After the transplant he stayed at the Ronald McDonald House until July 10th.  Since then he has been home but quite restricted.

“The only time he can leave the house is for doctor’s appointments,” said Becky West, the boys’ mother. “He’s doing remarkably well.”

Now he wears a mask, washes his hands a lot and takes lots of medications.  He can't go out for food nor can he enjoy take-out food because of the concern about food-handling and preparation.  His appetite is coming back and he loves vegetables, particularly broccoli and corn.   He will  have a bone biopsy to check how his immune system rebuilding is progressing.

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