[ RadSafe ] Japanese media coverage about “Useless” and Overpriced Anti-Radiation Pills ”

[Stewart Farber]

Hello everyone,

 

Some more well-deserved negative news coverage from a publication regarding Japan [ Japanprobe.com] is seen below [ adding to stories in the past few days from the Guardian [England], and Forbes ] about Dr. Chris Busby , commenting  as this Japanese news coverage site terms the: 

 

“  “Useless” and Overpriced Anti-Radiation Pills ” 

 

being hyped for sale to the people of Japan who Busby has worked so hard to terrorize with unsubstantiated and extremist claims.  As published today in a publication called  “ Japan Probe: The web's no. 1 source for Japan-related news and entertainment” :

 

“Christopher Busby Sells “Useless” & Overpriced Anti-Radiation Pills”

http://www.japanprobe.com/2011/11/24/christopher-busby-sells-useless-overpriced-anti-radiation-pills/  

or, if the above link does not work:

http://tinyurl.com/8yer3oj

 

The text of the article from the publication Japanprobe.com is copied below since it is so interesting to read:

 

JAPAN PROBE TEXT of article from link above:

“If you’ve been following some of the scariest stories on the internet about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, chances are you’ve come across statements by anti-nuclear activist Christopher Busby. Busby is known for his championing of the (unproven <http://junksciencewatch.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/chris-busby-exposed/> ) claim <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Busby#Conflicts_with_other_Low-Dose_Radiation_researchers>  that very low doses of radiation are extremely harmful to human health. He’s been saying that Fukushima could kill over 1.4 million people. Busby has even claimed that the Japanese government is using trucks full of radioactive waste to intentionally contaminate the entire country, giving children cancer in areas of Japan that are far from Fukushima, and thus hiding any spike in cancer rates that will take place near Fukushima.”

A recent article in the Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/21/christopher-busby-radiation-pills-fukushima>  has revealed that Busby is profiting from his extremely scary statements <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2xBc43eD28>  about Fukushima. As he spreads fear of radiation, he’s promoting the sale of supplements that he claims will protect people from it:

Dr Christopher Busby, a visiting professor at the University of Ulster, is championing a series of expensive products and services which, he claims, will protect people in Japan from the effects of radiation. Among them are mineral supplements on sale for ￥5,800 (£48) a bottle, urine tests for radioactive contaminants for ￥98,000 (£808) and food tests for ￥108,000 (£891).

The tests are provided by Busby Laboratories and promoted through a body called the Christopher Busby Foundation for the Children of Fukushima (CBFCF). Both the pills and the tests are sold through a website in California called 4u-detox.com, run by a man called James Ryan.

Scientists who were asked to comment on the effectiveness of the supplements said that they were essentially “useless” as protection against radiation. And, to make matters worse, they’re being sold at a price that is ludicrously high:

Busby says that the calcium and magnesium pills will be supplied “at the cost of production”. But the prices being charged by 4u-detox.com are far greater than those of other mineral supplements on sale in Japan. Chemists in Tokyo sell bottles of 200 pills containing similar combinations of ingredients for ￥1,029 (£8.49). James Ryan’s website also charges a minimum shipping cost of ￥2,300 (£19).

George Monbiot asked Busby to comment <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/nov/22/christopher-busby-nuclear-green-party>  on the supplements. Here’s what Busby had to say for himself:

When I phoned Busby to ask him some questions about these issues, his responses were less than enlightening. He began as follows: “You can f--k off frankly.”

When I asked him what his involvement was with the Christopher Busby Foundation for the Children of Fukushima, he told me: “I think you can f--k off. I’m not going to answer your questions.” When I asked whether the products being sold in his name are snakeoil, he responded: “Of course it’s not snakeoil you f--kwit”.

Busby answered some of my questions but put the phone down on me before I could ask what I considered to be the key points. These are:

- Are you receiving money from the sale of these products and services?

- Have the pills being sold in your name been subjected to a randomised controlled trial to test their efficacy?

- Are the tests being sold audited by external assessors?

- Do you draw money out of the Green Audit account for your own use?

When I emailed these questions and others to him he sent me, “as my response to your questions” a summary of the proceedings of a conference that took place in 2009. Given that this was held before the Fukushima disaster, and before he started promoting pills and tests to the people of Japan, it was hard to see the relevance of this answer. No other response from him has been forthcoming.

Monbiot also looked in to some of Busby’s research (almost all of which is self-published), finding that scientists who have read it think it’s about as useful as those anti-radiation supplements. “

END OF JAPANPROBE.COM ARTICLE

We can be grateful as many celebrate Thanksgiving day in the US today,  that major media have begun to cover, in a very negative manner, the misinformation and financially exploitative actions regarding Fukushima by many anti-nuclear activists.  The attempts by people who have exploited the tragedy in Japan for personal gain has been a sorry side-bar story to the unfortunate  events in Japan. However, many in the media are finally focusing on the serious issues of misinformation  that have been raised by many Radsafe members about Busby.

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” a well-known quote from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, refers to the benefits of openness and transparency. We can only hope that the US FDA, and other regulatory agencies in the US, Europe,  and Japan begin to investigate the false claims being made by some obvious con-men for their financial gain, and prosecute where they can about matters of misinformation uttered with intent to defraud, and to cause fear and  stress for an already distressed population.

Of course, reviews by regulatory agencies in cases like this are generally “too-little, too-late”. Any “cease and desist” orders they may issue will be after much damage has been done. Nonetheless,  negative media attention helps in quickly discrediting parties exploiting the public for personal gain [which is not just financial, but as I’ve commented before the desperate need of some  people to see their name in print if they think they look like  heroes].  The recent news coverage makes Busby look anything but heroic.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, 

 

Stewart Farber, MS Public Health

SAFarber at optonline.net

203-441-8433