Posted by viridis on December 16, 2002, at 11:03:31
In reply to Re: Benzo Monotherapy or Antidepressants ?, posted by utopizen on December 15, 2002, at 9:31:04
I'm no expert on the World Health Organization, but from what I can tell they're a pretty well-respected group, and I don't really understand your criticisms of them. The WHO as a group supports fluoridation of water supplies (although some member countries don't). I'm not sure what their stand is re: the recent discovery of acrylamide in some fried foods (I believe this finding first arose in one of the Scandinavian countries and has since been replicated by other researchers). But, I can certainly tell you that acrylamide is serious stuff -- I work with it in the lab on a daily basis and have to take great precautions to avoid exposure. It's a cumulative toxin that can be carcinogenic and neurotoxic with long-term exposure. So, if there's evidence of it in common foods, I'd say that's a cause for concern, although I have no idea what the level of risk is.
The WHO report on rational use of benzodiazepines is very thorough and is based on decades of study. It examines the pros and cons of their applications and concludes that both short- and long-term use are safe for the appropriate patients. This is reassuring, especially coming from a group that seems to err on the side of caution.
poster:viridis
thread:131769
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021210/msgs/132000.html