Nexus - 1902 - New Times Magazine-pages

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SUNSCREENS’ HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS SUNSCREENS’ HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS The chemicals in sunscreens not only fail to provide effective protection against all the sun’s rays, they also have toxic effects on humans, aquatic life and waterways. Our best advice is to eliminate sunscreens and adopt a diet rich in antioxidants. From Coral Reefs to Collagen n the summer of 2010, when | was in Maui, Hawaii, the local media were discussing that the coral reefs were dying due to global warming. However, when I realised that the Hawaiian waters felt colder than they had in the 40 years that | had been swimming in them, being a medical researcher | decided to investigate what else may be killing the coral. I very quickly found an article published in 2008 in Environmental Health Perspectives (116[4]:441-447) which clearly demonstrated that sunscreen chemicals kill coral. When my search led me to numerous articles which revealed that these chemicals are potent hormones capable of having severe impacts on all species of life as well as on human foetal development, I knew that I had to write a book to warn the public and that there could only be one name for it that would be appropriate: Sunscreens — Biohazard: Treat as Hazardous Waste. This newly published book documents the vast amount of evidence that identifies the dire consequences arising from these chemicals entering the ecosystems of the planet as well as the human body. It highlights that there is an urgent need to halt the use of sunscreen chemicals today, to bring to an end the harm they are creating every day that they are in use. From the headlines in every media, we are given this message: "Use sunscreens before going outdoors. Make sure to slather it on your children to protect them from skin cancers and also to prevent photo-ageing of the skin." This has been repeated so many times that we believe it to be the truth and do not think to question the premise. However, there is now plenty of evidence that sunscreens not only increase the risk of skin cancers, including melanomas, but also leave the skin exposed to a higher percentage of the solar rays that actually break down collagen and elastin, resulting in greater photo-ageing of the skin than without sunscreen use. Melanoma and Skin Cancer Increase with Sunscreen Use From the 1960s to the present time, there has been a steady rise in the incidence of melanoma in all parts of the world.' A 2009 study published in Clinics in Dermatology reveals that the incidence rate for melanoma has been rising in white populations worldwide over the last four decades.’ According to the World Health Organization, the annual incidence rates for melanoma in Norway and Sweden have more than tripled over the last 45 years.’ Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence rates at 40-60 per 100,000. Central Europe increased from 3-4 per 100,000 in the 1970s to 10-15 per 100,000 by 2000. These trends indicate that there will be a doubling of the incidence over the next 20 years.‘ In fact, the statistics are so overwhelming that researchers in a 2008 article, published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, stated: "...it is probably safe to suggest that predominantly UVB absorbing sunscreens do not prevent melanoma development in humans.”” by Elizabeth Plourde, CLS, NCMP, PhD © 20i1 New Voice for Health New Voice Publications PO Box 14133 Irvine, CA 92623-4133, USA Email: publisher@newvoice.net Website: www.sunscreensbiohazard.com by Elizabeth Plourde, CLS, NCMP, PhD © 20i1 New Voice for Health New Voice Publications PO Box 14133 Irvine, CA 92623-4133, USA Email: publisher@newvoice.net Website: www.sunscreensbiohazard.com NEXUS ¢ 29 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2012 www.nexusmagazine.com