Plastic hazard story has a familiar ring

Re “Scientists issue group warning on plastic chemical’s hazards,” Aug. 3

Reading the comments of Steve Hentges of the American Chemistry Council’s polycarbonate/BPA group gave me a profound feeling of deja vu. Hentges’ denigration of scientific evidence of the probable health dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) echoed the comments, over years, of “scientists” from the tobacco industry denigrating scientific findings of tobacco’s health risks.

One suspects that all the evidence that is needed to prove the danger of BPA is in locked files of the plastics industry that will, one day, come to light.

Norman Decker MD

Houston

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The Times’ report concerning the toxic bisphenol A in plastics follows a familiar pattern in which the industry involved adamantly denies any harm despite overwhelming animal studies to the contrary.

Many neurodegenerative diseases, from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder to brain tumors, are dramatically rising in the Western world, especially in children. Those individuals who have a genetic susceptibility to a given toxic substance or combination of substances are at high risk for developing overt disease.

Because many toxic substances are present in common foods, cleaners, clothes, personal items and other household products, consumers and especially parents would be well advised to become aware and avoid exposure.

Dennis

Schumacher MD

Big Pine, Calif.