U.S. Government Glossed Over Cancer Concerns As It Rolled Out Airport X-Ray Scanners

[kpete]

U.S. Government Glossed Over Cancer Concerns As It Rolled Out Airport X-Ray Scanners

A ProPublica/PBS NewsHour investigation of how this decision was made shows that in post-9/11 America, security issues can trump even long-established medical conventions. The final call to deploy the X-ray machines was made not by the FDA, which regulates drugs and medical devices, but by the TSA, an agency whose primary mission is to prevent terrorist attacks.

Research suggests that anywhere from six to 100 U.S. airline passengers each year could get cancer from the machines. Still, the TSA has repeatedly defined the scanners as “safe,” glossing over the accepted scientific view that even low doses of ionizing radiation — the kind beamed directly at the body by the X-ray scanners — increase the risk of cancer.

“Even though it’s a very small risk, when you expose that number of people, there’s a potential for some of them to get cancer,” said Kathleen Kaufman, the former radiation management director in Los Angeles County, who brought the prison X-rays to the FDA panel’s attention.

About 250 X-ray scanners are currently in U.S. airports, along with 264 body scanners that use a different technology, a form of low-energy radio waves known as millimeter waves.


MORE:
http://www.propublica.org/article/u.s.-government-glossed-over-cancer-concerns-as-it-rolled-out-airport-x-ray

[Matariki]

1. Oh what a day to read this post :(

Just had a depressing time at the airport. First time I've flown since all this shite started. So depressing.

[nc4bo]

2. Oh hell no...

Liars! 6 to 100 at risk for CANCER??? Because they simply wanted to fly to their destination and TSA has the nerve and audacity to treat anyone who opts out to an invasive and embarrassing manual body search?

OMG what is wrong with us.....

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Wait, didn't we raise these concerns?

[nc4bo]

4. Absolutely without a doubt raised a hell of a lot of concerns. dear god.

And before anyone poo-poos all over this article, I guarantee won't be thrilled when it's their loved one or beloved friend gets a diagnosis of cancer.

And, I'm sure there will be all sorts of other excuses as to why this or that person got the cancer, everything but body scanners.

[seafan]

5. Yep, we raised hell about this last year at Thanksgiving as well.

Today, we read this:

U.S. Government Glossed Over Cancer Concerns As It Rolled Out Airport X-Ray Scanners, November 1, 2011



We've been screaming about these scanners for years now.



WTF has happened to this country?

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. We collectively went to sleep

And wanted safety for security.

[AllyCat]

6. I have not flown since this started. We drive or take the train.

I'm getting used to the slower pace. I've not really found a reason yet to fly anywhere to save time yet.