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| A group of determined campaigners have set out to alert the public of an imminent danger to our health. With it already claiming lives, is it too late for the National Assembly to take action? (Pic : via gettyimages.com) |
Oggy Bloggy Ogwr can exclusively reveal that following the recent introduction of the Public Health Bill, campaigners are pressing
AMs and the Welsh Government to ban a pervasive dangerous substance which is secretly blighting the lives of the people of Wales.
Known as hydrogen hydroxide and, occasionally, dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), oxidane and deuterium oxide, its inhalation is linked to 400 deaths in the UK every year. It's also a leading cause of death globally, claiming ~350,000 lives in 2013 – disproportionately including the world's poor and children.
DHMO is also a significant byproduct of vaping/e-cigarettes, risking passive exposure in enclosed public spaces. With the Public Health Bill proposing a ban on indoor use, many believe the presence of a known dangerous chemical will convince sceptics of the need for a ban.
Campaign organisation Say No to DHMO are preparing a petition for the National Assembly and are also making final arrangements for a lobbying blitz on AMs. The campaign organiser, veteran environment and health campaigner, Claire Waters, issued a press release calling for an urgent moratorium, or future ban, on the use of DHMO.
"There has been a lot of discussion on the potential dangers associated with vaping and genetically modified food - both of which correlate with the presence of large amounts of DHMO - but people are dying directly from DHMO exposure today!"
"It's a primary ingredient in pesticides, routinely causes symptoms such as excessive sweating, urination and chemophobia in humans, has been used in the manufacture of illegal drugs and is known to be present in nuclear reactor cores – yet you'll find it everywhere. It's in our food. It's in our schools. It's on our clothes.
"This chemical is still being pumped into the air and into our homes with destructive abandon. The media have ignored these dangers because they're in the pocket of big corporations who exploit DHMO at the expense of public health. Our AMs are also failing to stand up for constituents who have to live with this misery day in, day out.
"We can't wait for peer-reviewed scientific research into the dangers of this chemical to inform decision-makers. We need to lead the way with a ban, and ensure Wales has another world first to its name."We call upon the National Assembly to ensure the people of Wales have the choice to live an all-natural, DHMO-free lifestyle."
Say No to DHMO leafleted Cardiff city centre last Saturday as part of a UK-wide day of action. Horrified shoppers - who signed the petition in droves - were left shaken by tales of duplicity by politicians and multinational corporations.
"I never knew," said one concerned grandmother from West Ross. "I've come down today to get some oysters, clams and cockles from the market, only to be told this. It's about time someone raised awareness because we need more awareness raised of this issue."
When Claire told one internet activist that her vegetarian patty Subway sandwich was pumped with DHMO, the shocked 21-year-old immediately delayed Instagramming her lunch to tweet this :
Known as hydrogen hydroxide and, occasionally, dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), oxidane and deuterium oxide, its inhalation is linked to 400 deaths in the UK every year. It's also a leading cause of death globally, claiming ~350,000 lives in 2013 – disproportionately including the world's poor and children.
DHMO is also a significant byproduct of vaping/e-cigarettes, risking passive exposure in enclosed public spaces. With the Public Health Bill proposing a ban on indoor use, many believe the presence of a known dangerous chemical will convince sceptics of the need for a ban.
Campaign organisation Say No to DHMO are preparing a petition for the National Assembly and are also making final arrangements for a lobbying blitz on AMs. The campaign organiser, veteran environment and health campaigner, Claire Waters, issued a press release calling for an urgent moratorium, or future ban, on the use of DHMO.
"There has been a lot of discussion on the potential dangers associated with vaping and genetically modified food - both of which correlate with the presence of large amounts of DHMO - but people are dying directly from DHMO exposure today!"
"It's a primary ingredient in pesticides, routinely causes symptoms such as excessive sweating, urination and chemophobia in humans, has been used in the manufacture of illegal drugs and is known to be present in nuclear reactor cores – yet you'll find it everywhere. It's in our food. It's in our schools. It's on our clothes.
"This chemical is still being pumped into the air and into our homes with destructive abandon. The media have ignored these dangers because they're in the pocket of big corporations who exploit DHMO at the expense of public health. Our AMs are also failing to stand up for constituents who have to live with this misery day in, day out.
"We can't wait for peer-reviewed scientific research into the dangers of this chemical to inform decision-makers. We need to lead the way with a ban, and ensure Wales has another world first to its name."We call upon the National Assembly to ensure the people of Wales have the choice to live an all-natural, DHMO-free lifestyle."
Say No to DHMO leafleted Cardiff city centre last Saturday as part of a UK-wide day of action. Horrified shoppers - who signed the petition in droves - were left shaken by tales of duplicity by politicians and multinational corporations.
"I never knew," said one concerned grandmother from West Ross. "I've come down today to get some oysters, clams and cockles from the market, only to be told this. It's about time someone raised awareness because we need more awareness raised of this issue."
When Claire told one internet activist that her vegetarian patty Subway sandwich was pumped with DHMO, the shocked 21-year-old immediately delayed Instagramming her lunch to tweet this :
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| Emmie Whistle : Concerned Citizen |
The leaflet, citing hard evidence, claims that DHMO is :
- Odourless, tasteless and is routinely released into the atmosphere as a byproduct of heavy industry, fracking and combustion engines.
- Used as an industrial solvent, can be used as both an acid and a base, is corrosive and is a leading cause of burns and electrolyte imbalance.
- Present to varying degrees in most forms of food and drink and it's likely everyone will be exposed to the chemical without their consent.
- A leading contributory factor in road accidents and is known to contain human waste and sewage.
- Directly contributes to alarming sea level rises, acid rain, climate change and coastal erosion.
- A performance-enhancing addictive substance. Athletes have been known to die if DHMO is withdrawn for as short a period of time as three days.
- A key ingredient of vaccines and unregulated homeopathic medicines; every person diagnosed with autism or cancer to date has been exposed to it, direct contact with its solid form can cause severe tissue damage, while DHMO poisoning can kill.
The campaign against DHMO has been taken up as a cause célèbre by Welsh nationalists who, for generations, have been concerned about the chemical's free transit across Offa's Dyke. It's understood Plaid Cymru have completely misread these concerns and are taking a precautionary approach, not ruling out calling for a total ban on DHMO.
The EFA-Greens are preparing to press the issue of the floor of the European Parliament, while a Plaid insider is quoted as saying, "Lethal amounts of hydrogen hydroxide are transported across the border every day. As part of our Green agenda, Plaid Cymru The Party Of Wales believe we should restrict transit of such a dangerous substance immediately in order to protect all of the people of these islands."
Although the matter is yet to be brought up in the Assembly, Health Minister, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West), informed Assembly Members via a written statement that many local health boards have instituted an unofficial moratorium.
"Although the Welsh Government has no official stance on DHMO, individual health boards have undertaken their own risk assessments in light of public concerns. As a result, two boards have issued guidance discouraging its use in hospital environments – particularly amongst vulnerable elderly patients. We commend both Betsi Cadwaladr and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health boards for taking these urgent precautionary measures, helping us to work towards our commitment to safe and sustainable health services for all."
Campaigners sought advice from experts at Cardiff University's School of Chemistry in an attempt to find an authoritative-sounding smoking gun to bolster their case. Against Claire's expectations, the chemists' bemusement turned to laughter when they saw video footage of people signing her petition.
The chemists laughter turned to fear when were told they weren't being filmed for a hidden camera show, and this was an acceptable policy approach by the Welsh Government and National Assembly. As a result, they took an unprecedented step of issuing a note to politicians, calling for them to exercise caution when proposing bans or restrictions on chemicals - even "dangerous" ones - and to back their policies with hard, objective evidence on relative harm before proceeding.
Claire Waters was unmoved and left the meeting disappointed but as determined as ever. "Science just isn't democratic enough these days," she said. "Besides, what do these eggheads know?"
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