The BU family had a robust but interesting debate last month on the blog we titled Beware Of Cervical Cancer Vaccine Gardasil! Coming from the discussion a BU family member was driven to the point to question the design of the vaccination program in use in Barbados. He promised the BU family that he will engage the best research techniques to answer his concern with empirical data. We strongly believe that as an educated society we should use research based approaches to improve the quality of our environment, and our lifes in the process.
If the above is to be achieved Barbadians will have to be mobilized to become more constructively critical of what is happening in Barbados. In this regard, we are very disappointed that despite existing conditions which are receptive, Barbados continues to lack consumer advocates of any significance. As a consequence of this Barbadians continue to be taken advantage of by the mercantile class.
Two days ago the results of a study appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which hinted that “an ubiquitous ingredient in plastics has been linked to diabetes and heart disease in adults, according to a study being released today, heightening concerns about the widespread use of the chemical BPA. Otherwise known as bisphenol A, BPA is the chemical once studied as a synthetic form of estrogen, but more recently known to leach out of some plastic water bottles and baby bottles, and that is found in all kinds of plastic products.”– ABC News. A read of one of the sources quoted in the article listed some of the products which are made with the ubiquitous BPA, e.g. pacifiers, sippy cups, spoons, the bath toys, the chew toys ..) Please note that the source is a blog owned by a mother of two toddlers!
We should point out that the study did not show empirical evidence that the BPA ingredient caused diabetes and heart disease in adults, instead the word link was preferred. it is interesting to note that Canada regulates the use of BPA, however the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA continues to ignore warnings and calls by experts to regulate the use of BPA. Previous BPA research using rats and monkeys of has confirmed damage, however researchers have been unable that it will affect humans in the same way. However the latest research published in JAMA “provides convincing circumstantial evidence that, where high levels of BPA lurked, so do diabetes and poor heart health. The study’s authors wrote that their work could not definitively prove that BPA had a part in causing the diseases.”
Our position which drew condemnation in some quarters of the BU family when we commented that Barbadians should show caution in the use of Gardisil is now echoed with BPA products. However there is a challenge for Barbadians who may want to use products which do not include BPA. The ubiquitous use of BPA makes it almost impossible! Poquette, the mother of the two toddlers who own the blog quoted above wrote that “she discovered a trip to the grocery store became a lot more complicated. Manufacturers don’t have to label goods that contain BPA unless the FDA requires it.” Despite the challenge she listed some steps mothers et al can takein her Green and Clean blog.
If Barbados is to demonstrate that it is a country which has benefited from a rich heritage of education. Such intelligence derived can only be manifested when some Barbadians e.g. consumer advocates and organs in the society see the value in educating our people. As stated above we cannot tell people what to do, but we hope by providing the information above it will lead some Barbadians to appreciate what risks exist and make the best decisions they can in the circumstances.
BU thank family member Carson C. Cadogan for the source information.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.