this is fucking crazy... Begin forwarded message: > From: Paul Nshan Bedrosian <[log in to unmask]> > Date: March 27, 2006 10:58:50 PM EST > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [sfpgj] toxic soda > > check this shit out... > > ----- Forwarded message from [log in to unmask] > ----- > Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 09:20:25 -0500 (EST) > From: "Gary Ruskin, Commercial Alert" > <[log in to unmask]> > Reply-To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Special alert: some school soft drinks may contain the > poison benzene > To: [log in to unmask] > > Dear friends, > Just when we thought we’d heard all of the reasons to stop the sale > of soft drinks in school, we discovered another outrageous fact. > > Recent tests conducted by scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug > Administration and elsewhere have found that some soft drinks are > contaminated with the toxic chemical benzene at levels levels that > are above the U.S. legal limit for drinking water. See http:// > www.commercialalert.org/issues-article.php? > article_id=915&subcategory_id=34&category=2. > > "Now, in addition to the calories, parents and educators should be > aware that some of the drinks they give children contain poison," > explained Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research > Center. "Here we've got a genuinely worrisome reason to focus on > soda in schools." > > Long-term exposure to benzene is associated with leukemia, aplastic > anemia and other blood diseases. According to a U.S. Environmental > Protection Agency factsheet, exposure even “for relatively short > periods of time” above the EPA limits for benzene in drinking water > can “potentially cause” effects such as “temporary nervous system > disorders, immune system depression, anemia.” > > Benzene is formed by a reaction of two soft drink ingredients -- > ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and either sodium or potassium benzoate > (which are used as preservatives). Here is a list of some soft > drinks that contain both ingredients: http:// > www.commercialalert.org/softdrinklist.pdf. > > While we continue our campaign to end the sale of all sweetened > drinks and other junk food in schools because they promote obesity > and type 2 diabetes, we’re making a special effort to stop the sale > of soft drinks that may contain the toxic chemical benzene. > > On March 23rd, Commercial Alert and our friends sent letters to all > chief state school officers asking them to halt the sale of drinks > that may be contaminated with benzene. > > We need your help right now. Ask your governor and state > legislators to halt the sale of these drinks in schools > immediately. Take action now at: > > http://www.commercialalert.org/dia/organizationsORG/commercialalert/ > campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3122. > > Thank you so much for caring about the health of our children. > > -- Gary Ruskin, Commercial Alert > > > > /*Your email ID. <diaEmailID='98894134' thread=1255/>--*/ > > > ----- End forwarded message ----- > >