RE: Man Sentenced in radioactive Poisoning Case

[Rotman Mark <MRotman@snm.org>]

In addition to what Mr. Lipton stated about security, I would like to add my
2 cents worth.  The security required to prevent theft and misuse by a
criminal acting in a premeditated way is entirely different than that
required to prevent access by those unauthorized.  The level of security
necessary to prevent premeditated criminal acts is incompatible with most
biomedical research settings.  Biomedical research settings more closely
resemble a University setting than an industry setting, or a commercial
setting or a classified setting.  In the case of the Brown Univ. incident,
the incident at NIH, and many others in the last 10 years, the theft was
deliberate, willful, and premeditated for the purpose of harming another.
The theft occurred in a academic research setting.  The harm was not
intended to cause deterministic effects, but certainly was intended to
sabotage research, to create emotional distress, and to inflict a firestorm
of regulatory investigation.  These actions are actually better methods of
revenge or punishment than medical harm.  These opinions are mine and mine
alone.



Mark Rotman
Government Relations
Society of Nuclear Medicine
703-708-9000 ext. 1242
703-708-9777 FAX
mrotman@snm.org
http://www.snm.org



-----Original Message-----
From: William V Lipton [mailto:liptonw@dteenergy.com]
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 11:29 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: Man Sentenced in radioactive Poisoning Case


This is one more case in the current "epidemic" of intentional misuse
incidents.  In
this case, enforcment action against the licensee may be appropriate, since
it seems
that the radioactive material used had not been properly secured.

This is something that the regulators, as well as all health physicists,
should be
addressing.  Make sure that all radioactive material at your facility is
properly
secured against removal by unauthorized persons, and that all those
authorized access
to this material are properly screened and trained, to provide a reasonable
assurance
that this will not happen.  Your facility should  publicize and enforce a
zero
tolerance policy for any intentional misuse.

I say this, because I am concerned about radioactive material seeming to
become a
weapon of choice for workplace and domestic violence.  Publicity of these
events will
furter erode public confidence in our ability to safety manage our
technology.

The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com

Sandy Perle wrote:

> Man Sentenced in radioactive Poisoning Case
>
> PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A former Brown University graduate student
> who used radioactive iodine to poison his ex-girlfriend was sentenced
> to 10 years of probation Friday.
>
> Superior Court Judge Francis Darrigan said Cheng Gu, 26, lost his
> chance for a U.S. education, was shamed before his friends and family
> and likely would be deported to China as a result of his crime. A
> prison sentence would serve no purpose, he said.
>
> Gu's ex-girlfriend, Yuanyuan Xiao, was not hurt because the dose was
> so low. She asked the judge not to impose a harsh sentence.
>
> ``He wanted the iodine to make her ugly so no one else would want
> her,'' prosecutor Stacey Veroni said. ``This isn't a case of a man in
> love or a lovesick defendant. This is a case of domestic violence.''
>
> Gu, a molecular pharmacology graduate student, said he stole a
> radioactive isotope of iodine from a Brown lab and spiked his
> girlfriend's food on more than one occasion.
>
> She was found to be contaminated during a routine procedure performed
> on her before she was to conduct an experiment using radioactive
> materials. Brown's radiation safety officers went to Xiao's apartment
> and found high levels of radiation coming from a dish of leftovers.
>
> Her roommate, James O'Brien, had also eaten the food, and was found
> to be contaminated as well.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> Director, Technical                             Extension 2306
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>
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