SECTION 6:
P
OISONED PEOPLE -- How I (and my son, and my neighbour) Got Poisoned in a New South Wales Department of Housing Unit When it was Treated With Pesticide
My name is Murray Thompson, I am a professional artist (see my websites) and I live in a Department of Housing (DOH) unit in North-Western Sydney. Despite my giving the DOH four warnings over four years regarding my chemical sensitivity (this was prior to accepting a DOH unit), my unit was 'nuked' with a synthetic pyrethroid termiticide (quite a common agricultural poison) -- one classified by the USEPA as a possible human carcinogen -- without so much as a mild caution in terms of even basic toxicological cautions or public health warnings. See my warnings, as listed in 4 consecutive DOH Eligibility Review Surveys (each 4 pages long) that I had to fill out as I waited for a unit to become available:
31st March 1995: page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4
10th April 1996: page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4
16th April 1997: page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4
21st April 1998: page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4
I had originally advised the DOH was that there were termites in the fence only. A thorough inspection of my unit by the first pest technician resulted in a clean bill of health for my unit. There were not only no termites in the unit, the technician also asserted that the particular timbers used in my unit's construction were not palatable to termites and would therefore not attract their attention. In other words, he said the termites would not move from the fence line into my unit.
And yet, to add insult and injury to the acute symptoms of headache, nausea, dizziness and crippling fatigue I developed immediately as the first termiticide spraying was actually taking place outside my front door, I also had a second spraying forced upon me a few weeks later when the first failed to annihilate all the termites in the side fence.
What Do You Do For Money If You've Been Poisoned and You
Even though I pleaded with this new pest technician to not spray the fence (I had asked the DOH only to remove the destroyed fence), he said he had to because he had to be seen to be doing something productive in the eyes of the DOH. The pest technician didn't listen to me. And the DOH strangely don't want to know me, now that I've informed them of 3 poisoned people. At one point I was promised a comprehensive technical reply to my toxicological concerns, but that never materialized. It seems that if there is a chance of an organization being revealed as incompetent, that organization just closes ranks and ignores the complainant in the hopes that sickness or exhaustion (or even death in the case of World War II concentration camp survivors and the I. G. Farben corporate parentage of companies like Bayer, BASF, etc) eventually shuts down the 'problem'. This is human corporate nature (an interesting, but very dangerous animal): the corporation is most important; it must survive and be seen to be right, good and professional; all else (including the truth) is of much lesser importance.
In fact, the DOH have ignored over 90% of all my letters and emails to them over this poisoning issue. As well, because I am active in trying to help other DOH tenants (which automatically means I am a "troublemaker", right?), I am also soundly ignored in terms of other safety and ethical issues relating to elderly DOH tenants living in my area. Every one of my -- I think it was -- FOUR letters that I sent to the DOH regarding a massive buildup of leaves on the roof of a DOH block of units for senior citizens was ignored. No written replies at all to my concerns over the huge fire risk that these leaves posed to these elderly people were forthcoming from the DOH's local Richmond office. The leaves were eventually cleaned up, months after my initial contacts with the DOH. Obviously this all means that DOH tenants' safety does not rate highly in the eyes of the NSW Department of Housing hierarchy! Certainly it means that getting a reply from the DOH is akin to getting blood out of a stone. The DOH do not communicate. They don't try. They don't care. This is unofficial 'housing policy'.
|
ARE
TODAY'S TEENS MORE TOXIC? Santa Barbara Although most Americans believe that the steady diet of violence in the media is leading to a more violent world, in reality it may be a steady diet of heavy metals and pesticides that is sending teens over the edge.
Perhaps in addition to checking our children for guns and explosives we should be checking their blood for elevated levels of toxic chemicals. In particular we should check out those recent perpetrators of school violence--whether they be dead or alive--to find out if there was a biological root to their behavior.
Pollution causes some people to commit violent crimes: In our myopia, we've neglected this obvious possibility. Yet a rapidly expanding body of research shows that heavy metals such as lead and pesticides decrease mental ability and increase aggressiveness. Human behavior is so easily influenced by toxic chemicals that in the 1980s a new scientific discipline called behavioral toxicology came into existence. Nonetheless, we continue to load up our water and food supplies with dangerous chemicals. When Congress banned the dumping of sludge into the oceans in 1992, the result was that sludge was plowed into croplands. The Columbine High School killers were 10 and 11 years old when this decision was made, and since that time we have routinely dumped heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, household chemicals, industrial chemicals, pesticides and disease-causing microbes into agricultural soil. As a result, are we now fostering a new generation of violent gun thugs? The dumping of sludge is just one example of the continuing degradation of our food supply. The use of pesticides has increased 33 fold since 1942. Recent studies show that trace levels of multiple pesticides cause increased aggression. Trace pesticide mixtures have induced abnormal thyroid hormone levels, which are associated with irritability, aggression and multiple chemical sensitivity. Children are the most vulnerable to pollutants. Because they are growing rapidly and they are smaller, they absorb 40 to 50 percent more toxic leads than adults. Babies fed infant formula rather than breast milk absorb more heavy metals such as manganese. And calcium deficiency in childhood also increases uptake of lead and manganese. An article in a February 1996 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, titled "Bone Lead Levels and Delinquent Behavior," outlines the association between heavy metals in the body and behavior problems such as attention deficit disorder, aggression, and delinquency. Still more worrisome: At least seven studies have demonstrated that violent criminals have elevated levels of lead, cadmium, manganese, mercury and other toxic chemicals in their bodies, compared with prisoners who are not violent. Added to sludge and pesticides is the underlying problem of the transformation of our eating habits and food supply. In recent years, developments in food technology in the U.S. and other developed countries have led to sweeping changes in nutritional composition and amount of fiber in the diet. Growing and processing food has become a gigantic mechanized industry, and the explosive increase in processing has stripped many essential nutrients and fiber from our food. A diet filled with low-fiber convenience foods leads to a greater uptake of pollutants such as mercury and PCB. Although PCB was banned in the 1970s, it still persists in the environment. The New England Journal of Medicine reported in September 1996 that children exposed to low levels of PCBs in the womb grow up with poor reading comprehension, low IQs and memory problems. Parents who feed their families typical processed and commercial foods may be unwittingly contributing to these problems. From 1984 to 1994 the number of youths under 18 who were arrested for murder tripled, according to the Department of Justice. It is time to look beyond the sociological roots of this trend to consider the profound changes in our food and water supply as a possible cause of violent behavior. We need to rethink our dependence on processed foods and the release of toxic materials into our agricultural environment. Rather than directing all our attention to bitter debates on gun control and the violence in the entertainment industry, let's also consider the pressing need for a cleaner environment and more nutritious food. http://www.vegsource.com/articles/toxic_teens.htm
|
The very strong impression I get from the many DOH tenants I have talked with is that tenants feel they are essentially just a resource from which to extract rent. As well, the internal perspective of the DOH hierarchy seems to incorporate the view that the tenant is the enemy. This is reinforced by the persistent reminders in regular DOH letters that the tenants are just one mistake away from breaching DOH laws and suffering severe penalties. This point was driven home to me one day when I was accused of destroying DOH property. The DOH Maintenance Line Operator raised his voice and said I would be fined the $100+ full cost of replacing a faulty smoke alarm that had awoken my child and I in the early hours of the morning.
This alarm did not have a 'mute' button on it and would not stop beeping. I had to disable the alarm there and then in order for my child and I to be able to get back to sleep. Yet this action was immediately interpreted as an offence in the presumptuous and unprofessional view of the DOH Operator, because DOH property was involved and it was assumed that because I inhabited a DOH residence that I was the scum of the earth... Our sleep, peace of mind, and health were not important. (The technician that replaced the smoke alarm signed a statement affirming that my actions in disabling the alarm were not unreasonable.) In terms of termites also, the tenant plays second fiddle, even in regard to the potential impact of highly toxic nerve agents, to the precious residence they are occupying. Poisoned people are not a concern. Many of us DOH tenants certainly feel that we are not viewed as real people who deserve to be treated humanely and ethically, and in terms of the normal public health imperatives that one might assume would be of concern to a 'professional' organization.
As a result of the termiticide treatments forced on me, I now suffer from chronic fatigue, multiple joint pains (polyarthralgia), polymyalgia, a permanent sore throat, and a nose bleed every time I blow my nose, to mention only just a few of the horrible impacts on my life, my potential, and my outlook. Imagine a very long and particularly distressing two-week period -- as I experienced during 2002-2003 I think -- having 3- 4 vigorous and unpredictable nose bleeds per day. A nice thought to carry with you in anticipation of going shopping or attending a job interview!
But, I am just one of the millions of poisoned people waking up to this onslaught and insult against all that is right and great.
My
problems are small problems, especially considering the heroes and heroines who daily overcome monumental traumas and difficulties far worse than these 'tiny' inconveniences (like the entire family poisoned by the Castlereagh Waste Management Centre at Londonderry, who had to move into the country in order to detoxify).
|
CHEMICAL THREAT TO CHILDREN For a short and to-the-point article (Chemical Threat to Children) listing the toxicological reasons why synthetic chemicals (especially pesticides and weedicides) are extremely dangerous to children's health, click on the following links for the html or pdf document in the desired language (these files are hosted on my People Poisoned website):
|
In the months after my unit was treated, my then 9 year old son woke up nearly every morning with abdominal pains (a classic signature of pesticide poisoning in children). A neighbour, whose unit shares the same concrete slab as mine, also -- during 2001 when all my chronic symptoms descended on me like a black nightmare -- developed a distressing cascade of extremely anomalous respiratory symptoms. Click HERE for scientific information showing that chemicals can diffuse through almost everything, including plastic drinking water pipes and the clay lining of a waste disposal pit! (This link should open up a pdf file in your browser window. Once fully downloaded you may save the pdf file -- which is my comprehensive letter to Australian Standards containing this invaluable research -- to your hard drive.) This poor lady developed double pneumonia in 2001, had two hospital admissions for respiratory problems, and has never been so sick in her entire life. She said she almost died that year (like me!). And this is not an isolated incident in terms of DOH neglect or bungling. It took her 8-9 years -- even with a doctor's certificate -- to get the DOH to remove a tree from her front yard that she was severely allergic to.
Now YOU can have a wildly profitable Internet business! ...even if you're an absolute computer dummy! With this foolproof marketing system, you'll discover...
This is the SAME system that 1,000s of people are already using to earn $30,000 to $2.5 million per year with the Internet! To preview this system, click here! |
As I have a Degree in Environmental Health (though with no specific training in pesticide toxicities), I have heavily researched the effects of pesticide poisoning and have started developing this website and Support Group. The Support Group will be called, simply, Poisoned People.
Keep an eye on this site over the next few months as I add a great deal of toxicological data, links and stories, including copies of letters and emails from me to DOH, and from DOH to me (what little there are of these!). You will find out what reputable scientific research has to say about pesticides (and other chemicals like weedicides), where to go to get help with your injuries and inquiries, and what I have been told by people poisoned by uncaring bureaucracies. Believe me, fascism is not dead!
My email address is: dreedlegilf@yahoo.com.
If you can fund legal action yourself, or have friends/relatives who can help you financially (as in my case), or if your solicitor/lawyer will take on your case and only extract a fee if he/she wins (again as in my case), then you may be able to correct the 'situation'. The situation I am referring to are the almost inevitable denials of responsibility from the party that has poisoned you.
Modern technology is extremely TOXIC. We live with this brutal two-edged sword every moment of our lives, swimming in a toxic couldron of chemicalized soup and being compromised in infinite ways yet to be discovered, and only gaining some limited benefits that really aren't worth the present and future pains to come, including a looming extinction of the human race through compromised fertility (yes, even my sperm were affected by my exposure to termite pesticide!). If your child develops leukemia, if you develop Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, if your reproductive viability is compromised, if your wife has a miscarriage, or if your children can't learn because of ADHD, then you'll appreciate why I state that the benefits of technology aren't worth the pain.
If you can tolerate the stress, then take legal action. Take exceptionally detailed notes of everything that does or might relate to your chemical exposure. Your solicitor/lawyer will need this information. Make this an educational project! Put in a great deal of work and you may engineer beneficial changes for your family and society. If you can get media attention for an incident or ongoing episode of chemical poisoning, then your court trial will be leveraged to the hilt. What I mean here is that KNOWLEDGE will be spread, and this is what is needed in this sadly deluded world where we've all been conned into using toxic substances as a matter of normal, everyday living. We mistakenly assume that what we purchase is safe, but the sad fact is that most cleaning and pesticide agents are extremely toxic, especially to your children. Note that Carl Sagan said:
We have designed a civilization based on science and technology and at the same time have arranged things so that almost no one understands anything at all about science and technology. This is a clear prescription for disaster. (applause) We may for a awhile get away with this mix of ignorance and power but sooner or later it is bound to blow up in our face (http://seti.sentry.net/archive/public/1999/5-99/00000351.htm).
Email me at: dreedlegilf@yahoo.com, and keep emailing me if I accidently delete your email from my "Bulk" folder. I can provide the contact details, especially in Australia, of medical practitioners who can evaluate chemical poisoning. Get opinions from numerous legal experts as to the kind of service they can provide. Does the legal expert have experience in environmental matters such as chemical exposure? See: http://www.egs.com.au/expert_witness.shtml (Environmental & Genetic Solution (E.G.S.) PO Box 210 Port Adelaide South Australia 5015; E-mail via website address: http://www.egs.com.au/contact.shtml; Contact E.G.S Ph: 08 8355 4187) for specific information on this vital foundation in your case. If the site is down, then download this: Dr Judy Ford Chemical toxicity - How to Build a Sound Case.pdf from here.
|
|
IF YOU HAVE BEEN HELPED BY THIS SITE, THEN PLEASE DONATE TO THIS IMMENSELY WORTHY CAUSE!
I HAVE VERY FEW RESOURCES TO WORK WITH, AND HAVE BEEN BADLY HURT AND DISADVANTAGED BY PESTICIDE POISONING. THIS MAKES LIFE INFINITELY MORE DIFFICULT (AS ANY POISONING VICTIM KNOWS), BECAUSE POISONING SYMPTOMS REDUCE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS, PREDISPOSE YOU TO DEPRESSION, AND THEREFORE -- IN REAL TERMS -- SHRINK YOUR OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND ADVANCEMENT (therefore, in my case, I have had to consider a massive career change to suit
my disabilities and recovery time).
WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE FROM HOME!
HELP ME TO GET THESE MESSAGES OUT. THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE MAY SAVE LIVES! HELP ME TO CONTINUE TO RESEARCH THESE IMPORTANT HEALTH ISSUES. My postal address is located at the bottom of this page.
Increase Both Your Efficiency and Effectiveness With the
Most Comprehensive Suite of Marketing Tools Ever
Assembled Under One Roof
Referralware's Marketing Operations Center is a fully integrated suite of marketing
software tools for ensuring your online marketing success. Our marketing automation
tools are easy to use, afford, and implement, and have been providing instant
productivity and control for thousands of savvy marketers since 2001.
© Copyright 2005 Murray Thompson dreedlegilf@yahoo.com
Postal Address:PO Box 5761
South Windsor LPO
NSW 2756
Australia