Dear HIFA colleagues,
Below are the opening paragraphs from a Wired news article. Read online here: https://www.wired.com/story/chlorine-dioxide-bleach-mms-autism-rfk-fda-w...
==
Online communities dedicated to the use of a toxic bleach solution to treat everything from cancer to autism believe Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is interested in their cause.
In the months since US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned chlorine dioxide during his Senate confirmation hearing, the online community advocating for the use of the toxic bleach solution as a cure for everything from malaria to autism has become emboldened. Activity on bleach-supporting social media groups is exploding, and influencers are reemerging in an effort to push President Donald Trump’s administration to approve bleach as a mainstream treatment.
“We are thrilled that RFK Jr. is in charge,” Michelle Herman, who sells a nasal spray containing chlorine dioxide and says she’s discussed the topic with Kennedy, tells WIRED. She was pictured, along with other bleach enthusiasts and activists, at the recent Truth Seekers conference held at Trump’s Doral resort in Florida.
Chlorine dioxide is sold under a variety of names, including Miracle Mineral Solution, Chlorine Dioxide Solution, Water Purification Solution, and God’s Detox. Whatever name it goes by, it has been promoted as a cure for a wide array of ailments since the mid-1990s, and despite prosecutions and warnings from authorities it continues to be popular in many parts of the world. It has been peddled as a “cure” for everything from malaria to cancer, from HIV to autism to Covid-19. (There is no credible evidence to back up any of the claims that chlorine dioxide can cure any of these ailments.)
==
Another extract:
“The bleachers are back, making connections with powerful people, reaching RFK and Trump,” says Fiona O’Leary, an Ireland-based activist who has autistic children and has spent years trying to highlight the dangers of toxic bleach solutions being sold as an autism cure. “Bleachers want RFK to approve chlorine dioxide as a treatment for autism, cancer, and other conditions. It is like watching a horror show.” Kennedy, according to chlorine dioxide advocates, has been interested in their cause dating back to at least 2023.
COMMENT (NPW): The claims are laughable at one level, but also very scary. Currently there is almost zero accountability, and both activists and politicians can pursue their bizarre beliefs with impunity. How can we ensure more accountability particularly for politicians who ignore evidence-informed policymaking principles?
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org