Halloween face paint found to contain high levels of toxic heavy metals

(NaturalNews) Ghouls and goblins may be spooky, but what should really give you the creeps this Halloween is the decorative makeup you might be putting on your face. New evidence from the nonprofit Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan shows many novelty face paints used for Halloween are tainted with toxic heavy metals like cadmium and lead. Your Halloween Costume May be Hazardous to Your Health Researchers at the Ecology Center tested 31 types of novelty makeup you can find on the shelves of big name outlets and party stores all over the country. Every single product contained traces of some kind of metal, but that is just the beginning. More than half of the products contained cadmium, a toxic heavy metal linked to cancer, birth defects and brain damage. Other toxic metals like mercury and lead were also detected. Even more disturbing is the popularity of these products with children. Kids dressing up as comical clowns and blood-sucking vampires routinely have their faces painted to match, but dress-up can turn ugly if toxic metals are involved. Children are especially at risk because their growing bodies and developing brains are more vulnerable to toxins like heavy metals. The health campaign director of the Ecology Center says parents should err on the side of caution until we know more about what levels of these metals are safe or unsafe for our children. Representatives of some of the manufacturers insist their products have been tested to ensure legal levels of heavy metals, but health advocates say legal levels for topical products may be far too high. Not enough testing has been done to determine how much of these products are absorbed through the skin. Our skin is highly permeable, and putting these toxic metals on our skin may be no more safe than putting them straight into our mouths. This Halloween the wise choice would be to avoid commercial makeup by either making your own at home or simply going without. When it comes to your health and that of your children, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Sources for this article include: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/story/2011-10-26/Environmental-group-warns-Halloween-makeup-may-be-hazardous/50928854/1 http://www.annarbor.com/news/halloween-face-paint-tainted-with-heavy-metals/ http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kent_county/Some-Halloween-makeup-linked-to-illness

Economic meltdown spurs droves of criminals to take over abandoned, foreclosed homes

(NaturalNews) Nearly a million and a half American homes are currently in foreclosure, which means many residences in various neighborhoods are now sitting empty and abandoned. And according to a recent report by The New York Times (NYT), criminals of all stripes, from prostitutes and drug addicts to gang members and thieves, are taking over these properties and “squatting” them indefinitely. Unable to make their mortgage payments due to job losses and other economic factors, many families, particularly in areas where housing prices spiraled most out of control, have been forced out of their homes in recent years. And taking their place are the dregs of society, who really have nothing to lose by invading formerly-occupied properties and doing whatever they please in them. “They’re becoming a magnet for criminal activity,” said Deputy Inspector Miltiadis Marmara, the commanding police officer of the 133rd Precinct in South Jamaica, Queens, New York, to the NYT concerning the excess of foreclosed properties. “[The criminals] hang out in these abandoned homes that may be foreclosed, or the owners walked away. Every day we respond to something to that effect.” Criminals looking for places to sell drugs, throw parties, steal copper piping and other valuables, and even host residential “strip clubs” are finding refuge, if you will, in these abandoned properties. And although police continue to arrest these squatters, others often just take their place shortly thereafter. New York is not the worst state as far as foreclosures go, either. In Michigan, one of every 322 houses is a foreclosure; while in California, it is one of every 259 housing units. And in Nevada, the foreclosure rate is a whopping one of every 118 housing units (http://www.realtytrac.com/trendcenter/trend.html). In Detroit, Mich., authorities have recently begun to crack down on squatters that have taken over many abandoned housing units in the largely blighted city. Home values are already dismally low there, but having criminals occupying foreclosed homes only makes things worse (http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2011/09/27/news/doc4e8280aec7b4c972952628.txt). As the US economy continues to unravel, the squatting by criminals will likely just get even worse. Sacramento, Cal., Miami, Fla., Trenton, NJ., Cleveland, Oh., Nassau County, NY, and many other cities and counties across the US have already had to lay off portions of their police forces due to budgetary shortfalls, and many others are considering having to do the same thing, which means crime will only increase. Sources for this article include: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/nyregion/foreclosures-empty-homes-and-criminals-fill-them-up.html

All charges dropped against Detroit mom Maryanne Godboldo

(NaturalNews) All charges have been dropped against Detroit mom Maryanne Godboldo, the woman who was SWAT team raided when Child Protective Services attempted to kidnap her daughter because Maryanne refused to “treat” her with psychiatric medications. An armed standoff ensued, and Maryanne ultimately walked out of her house and was charged with multiple felony counts (http://www.naturalnews.com/032090_Maryanne_Godboldo_health_freedom.html). Listen to my interview with Maryanne about the incident at: http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=8B81912F9B1AD317AE3DBBD4896C61AA I also called Maryanne Godboldo, who is African American, a Civil Rights hero for standing up to government thugs who tried to kidnap her daughter. Here my audio commentary on the situation at: http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=97774F5C3850CF921CBD4919305AE67C In court proceedings yesterday, all charges were dropped against Maryanne. After the decision was rendered, she said, “I was very pleased with what happened today and I’m pleased Judge Giles ruled in the way that he did because justice prevailed.” The state of Michigan, however, still has custody of her daughter, so this battle is not yet won. In fact, I say that the battle is not won until the CPS workers and police officers who conducted the raid are, themselves, brought up on felony charges of attempting kidnapping . Godboldo’s court proceedings reveal the details of how the thuggish, criminally-operated state broke the law in its effort to kidnap her daughter. Low-IQ cops follow orders after looking at scrap of paper What this case reveals is that low-IQ cops, who will apparently follow any orders without any sense of whether their orders are legal, were presented with a scrap of paper by a CPS caseworker who claimed it was some kind of order authorizing the state to use force to take away Godboldo’s daughter. Except CPS was lying, as usual. In reality, “The police met the CPS worker on the street, she hands them a piece of paper that is not officially filed with the county, it has a rubber stamp, and it’s not completely filled out,” said Godboldo’s attorney. The order simply wasn’t valid, in other words. It was just a scrap of paper with no lawful validity behind it. “When you come into someone’s house and you’re taking their child, you have to be lawful,” she explained. Ah, but that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Today’s government tyrants operate OUTSIDE the law. Whether they’re raiding the Gibson Guitar factory to confiscate “illegal wood” (http://www.naturalnews.com/033454_Gibson_Guitar_armed_raid.html), running FDA armed raids on raw dairy food distribution centers (http://www.naturalnews.com/033220_Rawesome_Foods_armed_raids.html) or terrorizing innocent moms who grow tomatoes in their home gardens (http://www.naturalnews.com/032960_Julie_Bass_home_gardening.html), it’s always done outside the law , respecting no constitutional rights of the citizens. What used to be a nation of freedom and law has very quickly devolved into one of government tyrants running around threatening innocents with guns . In every case, civil rights are violated by these tyrants, yet they are never held accountable for their actions. At best, the innocent victims of their threats of violence are let off the hook — but usually only after NaturalNews and the alternative media raise a stink about the injustices being committed. The thuggish tyrants who mastermind these illegal raids are never charged with crimes and never face justice for their own outlandish violations of not just civil rights but human rights. We demand the arrest of the law-breaking cops who conducted the illegal raid on Godboldo I believe it is time the People of America began demanding the arrest and imprisonment of government agents, CPS workers and law enforcement personnel who commit these unlawful acts. We need to see FDA heads rolling and cops put in prison for taking part in these illegal raids. Just as the East German soldiers who manned the Berlin Wall and shot escapees were guilty of war crimes, today’s cops who are merely “following orders” need to be reminded that they, too, must abide by the law of the land. And if they violate those laws by participating in illegal raids that have no basis in law, they must be brought to justice by the People, to face their own charges of criminal misconduct. After all, if we are a nation of law and justice, then those laws must apply to all men and women , not just selected ones. If the People are required to follow the law, then law enforcement personnel, government regulators and even the President himself must also follow the law. That’s what makes America a Republic (a society based on law, NOT majority rule). When those who enforce the law become lawless, then what used to be honest government breaks down into tyranny, and chaos ensues. This is where we now find ourselves in America, where laws are routinely violated by the entire executive branch of government, from the President himself (illegal wars) down to the secret FDA spies and infiltration agents who operate more like the KGB than honest Americans (http://www.naturalnews.com/033428_FDA_secret_war.html). Here at NaturalNews, we fight for justice and the rule of law. We encourage all citizens to abide by the law, and we demand that all those who work in government operate within the bounds of those same laws. And when laws are bad, we serve an activist role in working to get those laws revised (such as current marijuana prohibition laws, which are a complete failure and in desperate need of revision). NaturalNews played a pivotal role in bringing public pressure to this case involving Maryanne Godboldo. I thank all NaturalNews readers for their phone calls of support, their protests and their sharing of these stories so that people learn the truth about what’s really happening to our nation. Visit Maryanne’s website at www.Justice4Maryanne.com

Obama tells farmer no need to worry about government over-regulation of agriculture

(NaturalNews) During a town hall meeting yesterday, when an Illinois farmer told President Obama he was concerned about upcoming regulations regarding the Food Safety Modernization Act and would rather be farming than “filling out forms and permits,” Obama had choice words to offer in reply: “Don’t always believe what you hear.” For once, Obama has told the truth. “Don’t always believe what you hear” should be the rally cry for all the farmers, raw dairy producers and consumers harmed by government actions taking place under the Obama administration — actions which can only be called war against the People and crimes against nature. It was Obama’s USDA, for example, that approved genetically modified alfalfa to be openly planted everywhere, thereby contaminating non-GMO alfalfa crops with DNA pollution that’s impossible to remove from the harvest (http://www.naturalnews.com/031196_GE_alfalfa_GMOs.html). This is the same USDA that also recently said it would do nothing to halt the release of GMO yard grass seeds into the marketplace (http://www.naturalnews.com/033022_Scotts_Miracle-Gro_GMO_seeds.html). Because of that decision, by the Spring of 2012, we could see genetically engineered lawns spouting up in neighborhoods all across America, where they will be frequently sprayed with toxic Roundup herbicide chemicals. It was under President Obama that the FDA masterminded the recent armed raids on American raw dairy farmers by bringing a SWAT team to an L.A. food distribution center (http://www.naturalnews.com/033220_Rawesome_Foods_armed_raids.html). There, under the watchful eye of federal government thugs, agents proceeded to pour all the milk down the drain then seize and destroy tens of thousands of dollars worth of cheese, watermelons, mangos and other valuable food (http://www.naturalnews.com/033225_Rawesome_Foods_photos.html). Obama, of course, could have stopped this outrageous incarceration of raw dairy farmers at any time, but he stood back and said nothing. Perhaps he was too busy going on vacation (http://www.prisonplanet.com/trump-obama-takes-more-vacations-than-any-human-being-ive-ever-seen.html) to take any meaningful action trying to protect American farmers from gun-toting government tyrants. It was under Obama’s watch that Michigan gardener Julie Bass was threatened with 93 days of jail time for growing tomatoes in her own front yard (http://www.naturalnews.com/032960_Julie_Bass_home_gardening.html). While this wasn’t a federal case (it was drummed up by local tyrants who run the city of Oak Park), Obama could have easily intervened with a national message about “the freedom to garden.” Where was Michelle Obama on this point in particular? The President’s wife can grow a garden on the White House lawn, but a mom in Oak Park Michigan can’t do the same on her own private property? Insane. It’s only going to get worse as the FDA gains more power under the FSMA Just watch as the Food Safety Modernization Act really kicks in, folks, because that’s when Obama’s words will really ring true: “Don’t always believe what you hear.” For starters, all the official talk about this food safety act claimed that small farms and growers would be exempted from the new FDA regulations. This, of course, is a complete lie: No commercial grower is exempt from the act. Small farms must apply to be granted an FDA exemption from only two provisions of the bill, and even that exemption is only offered at the pleasure of the King (the FDA). (http://www.naturalnews.com/030808_food_safety_bill_American_farmers.html) Secondly, the FDA’s view on “safe food” is perverted to begin with. The FDA admittedly believes that the only safe food is dead food . Anything that’s pasteurized, fumigated or irradiated is made safer, according to the FDA; but “live” foods are all considered dangerous and even pathogenic! An FDA spokesperson recently told the New York Times that drinking raw milk would cause children to become “paraplegics.” This is an example of precisely the kind of disinformation fear tactics campaign the FDA is waging against producers of raw or unprocessed foods. According to the FDA, Americans should be eating dead foods while taking patented prescription medications to cover any symptoms that might appear from malnutrition. The FDA is on the record stating that there is no such thing as any food, plant or herb that has any biological function whatsoever for treating, curing or preventing any disease! (http://www.naturalnews.com/029698_censorship_FDA.html) It is this kind of nutritional insanity that the Obama administration has unleashed upon America’s agricultural industry with the Food Safety Modernization Act, which only emboldens the FDA with more power — power that will be used to destroy nutrition in America and wipe out providers of healthful food products. Where is Obama on the biggest agricultural issue of the century? If you really want to revitalize agriculture in America, legalize hemp farming . That single action would pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the hands of farmers and turn the USA into a huge producer of hemp seeds, hemp oils, hemp fibers and other valuable hemp products. Even though Obama promised to move on this issue during his campaign, he has done absolutely nothing to push for legalizing hemp farming in America. The farmers be damned! No President can credibly claim to support American agriculture if they aren’t pushing for the total legalization of hemp farming. (It’s legal in Canada. So why do we import all those hemp products from Canada when we could be growing them in the United States?) On this issue — just as with ending wars, closing down Gitmo, pushing for medical marijuana legalization and just about everything else the political left has been pushing for — Obama has been a disappointing failure. But wait, there’s more! Get ready for the FDA to go Nazi on the nation Thanks to the Obama administration’s push for the Food Safety Modernization Act, we will soon see an army of FDA agents sweeping across America, ransacking organic gardens, pillaging raw dairy producers, vandalizing local food distributors and intimidating innocent farmers at gunpoint, using tactics that can only be called acts of terrorism . Any who refuse to comply with the FDA’s new tyrannical rules will be arrested and handcuffed while their inventory is destroyed and their offices ransacked. FDA agents are on the record stealing cash and computers, seizing business records, confiscating customer email lists and addresses, then forcing to these very same businesses to pay for the FDA’s own surprise inspections just to make sure they’re still obeying orders (http://www.naturalnews.com/033280_FDA_raids_timeline.html). These are the actions of a government-run terrorist organization , and these actions are being conducted with a nod and wink from the Obama administration which actually went out of its way to push for giving the FDA even more power and more money! No more Bushes or Obamas, please… Even though Obama was elected under the banner of “hope” for real change, it turns out this President is a pro-war, pro-GMO, pro secret prisons, pro Federal Reserve president who repeatedly seeks to expand the power of the very same government regulators that are terrorizing innocent Americans right now. Only Presidential candidate Ron Paul dares point out the outrageous abuses of freedom being pursued by the FDA today. In this interview on CNN, he called out the U.S. government for denying people the freedom to “drink raw milk”: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=00F7C086AFAB902425583F5567988F88 So stop putting your misplaced faith in the latest fad Democrat or Republican, folks. What we need in America is leadership based on PRINCIPLE . There’s only one candidate who stands on principle, which is why he’s being lambasted by the totally corrupt press: His name is Ron Paul. Ron Paul stands for legalizing hemp and medical marijuana , ending FDA tyranny in America, protecting our rights to buy and sell raw milk , ending the completely corrupt EPA and restoring liberty and freedom to America. I don’t agree with Ron Paul on every single thing, but when it comes to 2012, there’s no other candidate that even comes close to the honesty, integrity and liberty-loving actions of this man. If he’s not on the ballet, I won’t even vote! Because let’s face it: Bush was a war-mongering psychopath. Obama is an inept corporate sellout. And Rick Perry — God forbid he should somehow end up on the ballot — is a Big Pharma lackey who pushes vaccines onto little children. There’s only one choice who makes any sense at all to those who believe in liberty, freedom and a restoring of commonsense principles in America: www.RonPaul2012.com Left and Right Unite! Forget the partisan politics. It’s ultimately about freedom, folks. And only Ron Paul has the courage to defend and preserve it. Sources for this story include: http://nation.foxnews.com/president-obama/2011/08/17/obama-dismisses-farmers-concerns-about-regulations-dont-always-believe-what-you-hear

Things the government approves that are more dangerous than raw milk

(NaturalNews) Among all the raw milk madness happening right now, NaturalNews recently covered the biased information coming from government sources and how it makes dispelling the myths and regulations surrounding raw milk difficult. The government’s continual condemnation of raw milk’s safety and presentation of false statistics meant to frighten the public have begun a fierce campaign against this wholesome and nutritious food. Yet more and more people are being made aware of the truth about raw milk’s ability to improve nutrition and enhance health. Although the FDA and CDC manipulate statistics and lie about raw milk, concealing the frightening truth about pasteurized milk in the process, there are endless REAL statistics available to attest to the health benefits of raw milk. Read more about the true differences of unpasteurized and raw milk (http://www.naturalnews.com/033242_CDC_unpasteurized_milk.html). Some of the following statistics on the health benefits and safety of raw milk are listed below (http://www.realmilk.com/rawmilkoverview.html). • Claims that raw milk is unsafe are based on 40-year-old science and century-old experiences from dairy “factory farms” in nineteenth century America. • Compared to 30-50 years ago, dairy farmers today can take advantage of many advancements that contribute to a dramatically safer product including pasture grazing, herd testing, effective cleaning systems, refrigeration, significantly less expensive, more accessible and more sophisticated milk and herd disease testing techniques. • Raw milk is the ONLY food that has extensive built-in safety mechanisms and numerous components to create a healthy immune system. • In early studies involving humans, raw milk was shown to be superior to pasteurized in protecting against infection, diarrhea, rickets, tooth decay and TB; and children receiving had better growth than those receiving pasteurized milk. • Although raw milk, like any food, can become contaminated and cause illness, the dangers of raw milk are greatly exaggerated. In an analysis of reports on 70 outbreaks attributed to raw milk, many examples were found of reporting bias, errors and poor analysis resulting in most outbreaks having either no valid positive milk sample or no valid statistical association. (ResponsetoMarlerListofStudies.pdf) • In early animal studies, animals fed raw milk had better growth, denser bones, greater integrity of internal organs, less anemia, fewer signs of anxiety and stress, and fewer signs of nutrient deficiency than animals fed pasteurized milk. • Three recent studies in Europe found that drinking raw milk protected against asthma and allergies. (Lancet. 2001 Oct 6;358(9288):1129-33; J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 Jun;117(6):1374-8; Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 2007 May; 37(5) 627-630). • In the early 1900s, the Mayo Clinic administered the “Milk Cure,” which consisted in drinking 4-5 quarts of raw milk per day, obtaining favorable results for a range of illnesses including cancer, weight loss, kidney disease, allergies, skin problems, urinary tract problems, prostate problems and chronic fatigue; these results are not obtained using pasteurized milk. • Many studies have linked consumption of pasteurized milk with lactose intolerance, allergies, asthma, frequent ear infections, gastro-Intestinal problems, diabetes, auto-Immune disease, attention deficit disorder and constipation. During a period of rapid population growth, the market for fluid pasteurized milk has declined at 1% per year for the past 20 years because fewer and fewer consumers can tolerate pasteurized (and ultrapasteurized) milk (Don’t Drink Your Milk, Frank Oski, MD, 1983). • In a survey of raw milk drinkers in the state of Michigan, over 80% of those advised by a healthcare professional that they were lactose intolerant were able to consume raw milk without problem. (LactoseIntoleranceSurvey.doc) • Compared to raw milk there are 515 times more illnesses from L-mono due to deli meats and 29 times more illness from L-mono due to pasteurized milk. On a PER-SERVING BASIS, deli meats were TEN times more likely than raw milk to cause illness. (Based on data in a 2003 USDA/FDA report) • Due to high-volume distribution and its comparative lack of anti-microbial components, contaminated pasteurized milk has caused numerous widespread and serious outbreaks of illness, including a 1984-5 outbreak afflicting almost 200,000 people. In 2007, three people died in Massachusetts from illness caused by contaminated pasteurized milk. All kinds of things are far more dangerous than raw milk Regardless of the endless proof that drinking raw milk from pure sources is extremely safe, the government continues to push its agenda and raw milk bias by portraying raw milk as an incredibly hazardous substance. Yet the government openly regulates and approves of tons of dangerous products and activities on a regular basis (and most all of them are certainly more dangerous than drinking raw milk!) Here are just a few examples to start with: • Riding in a grocery shopping cart • Smoking cigarettes and cigars • Chewing tobacco • Signing up for military combat • Consuming alcohol • Chemotherapy • Vaccines • Mammograms • CT scans • Taking FDA-approved pharmaceuticals • Downhill skiing • Water sports • Gymnastics • Driving in automobiles • Mercury fillings and mercury in tuna fish • Skateboarding • Rock-climbing, mountain climbing, mountain biking • Using hair dyes • Peanut and gluten products (potentially lethal or damaging allergens to many) • Eating fast food and processed foods regularly • Driving while texting/talking on the phone • Fireworks • Cough syrups with hydrocodone • Working in construction • Consuming fluoride And this is just a fairly short list to start. There are plenty more examples where these came from – I’m sure you could even come up with some of your own. This is another clear example of how present-day events and conditions have increasingly been leading America toward becoming a state in which government leaders control our lives rather than allowing us to decide things for ourselves. You may not care for drinking raw milk, but this issue is evidence to all of our government’s agenda to cultivate a culture of lies. Although they are aware that raw milk (when acquired from clean, grass-fed cows) is endlessly more nutritious than pasteurized milk, they continue to present dishonest information about it and to conceal the hard facts about much more clear and present dangers throughout the rest of the food supply, including the more popular pasteurized milk. The FDA and CDC are purposely doing their part in the enactment of a society that is riddled with increasing cases of sickness and death. This barbaric deception does not only apply to raw milk, but to any number of healthful, raw whole foods and nutritional supplements, and it is this sort of behavior that is contributing to our country’s declining health and freedom. WAPF has put together a comprehensive report about the anti-raw milk conspiracy where you can find much more detailed cases and information than what has been covered in this article (http://westonaprice.org/press/fda-and-cdc-bias-against-raw-milk). Sources used: http://www.westonaprice.org/ http://westonaprice.org/press/fda-and-cdc-bias-against-raw-milk http://www.naturalnews.com/033242_CDC_unpasteurized_milk.html

NaturalNews publishes names of government agents who masterminded Rawesome Foods raid

(NaturalNews) The Rawesome Foods raid that took place August 3, 2011, is being publicly described by many as an act of “government terrorism” against innocents (http://www.naturalnews.com/033258_Rawesome_Foods_videos.html). And yet there has been very little information published about the names of the government instigators who masterminded these armed raids and oversaw the pillaging of Rawesome Foods and the destruction of tens of thousands of dollars worth of food. Today, NaturalNews is publishing the names of five government agents who masterminded this raid and / or took part in the raid. This is all part of a campaign to protest these acts of government tyranny by sending emails, making phone calls, sending letters and otherwise making it very clear to these agents that We the People will not tolerate this kind of treatment. As always, if you send emails to these people, keep the following important points in mind: • Keep your emails civil. Be firm in your complaints but DO NOT make any threats or engage in illegal of threatening behavior against these individuals. NaturalNews does not condone acts or threats of violence. • Remember that if you send them emails, they will have your email address , so in order to protect your privacy, it’s always better to send emails from anonymous email sources such as Hotmail, Gmail, etc. Absolutely DO NOT send emails from your work or office email account. • If you send emails or faxes, be sure to clearly state WHY you oppose these government actions against Rawesome Foods. Be clear in your message: Do you think the government has gone too far? Are you opposed to the government destruction of valuable food? Are you offended by the use of gun-toting, SWAT-style police officers as part of these raids? What specifically do you oppose in all this? Why these individuals represent truly BAD government Here are the top government agents involved in this raid. It’s also worth noting that most of them have been waging a long-term WAR against raw milk over the past several years. Many of these government agents are the very same people responsible for campaigns of threats and intimidation against other raw dairy operations, both in California and around the country. These people, in my opinion, represent the worst of runaway Big Government. They perfectly depict how government becomes an institution of evil that destroys private property, disrupts important resources in the food supply, denies infants and children important nutrition (raw goat’s milk) and operates with extreme arrogance as if they are untouchable. Your job is the help remind these people that we know who they are , and we’re going to be keeping an eye on them from this point forward to make sure that they respect their role as servants of the People, not rulers over them. It is crucial that government workers realize that when they are granted power by the People, they must exercise that power with discretion with the intention of serving the People, not conducting their own personal vendettas against individuals or small businesses they don’t like. Government agent #1: Scarlett Treviso Helped mastermind the first raid on Rawesome Foods, and has been heavily involved in intimidation tactics against raw dairy farmers across California for years. Scarlett Treviso, Senior Special Investigator, California Dept. of Food and Agriculture Milk and Dairy Food Safety division Office phone: 949-716-8913 Email: streviso@cdfa.ca.gov See the first Rawesome Foods raid warrant, signed by Scarlett Treviso: http://uncheeseparty.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/rawesrchwarrinventory025.pdf Milk and Dairy Food Safety offices around California (with phone numbers): http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/AHFSS_Offices.html#office4 General contact info for California Dept of Food and Agriculture: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Contact_Us.html Google search on Scarlett Treviso: http://www.google.com/search?q=Scarlett+Treviso Government agent #2: Terrence Powell Terrance Powell, Bureau Director, Specialized Surveillance and Enforcement Bureau of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Email: tpowell@ph.lacounty.gov Workplace: 5050 Commerce Drive, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 Phone: (626) 430-5150 Fax: (626) 851-3758 General website: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/ Government agent #3: Kelly Sakir Kelly Sakir is the assistant DA of Los Angeles County. http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/90012-ca-kelly-sakir-281432.html Phone: 213-582-3394 Kelly Sakir’s boss is Steve Cooley : Phone: 213-974-3512 Government website: http://da.co.la.ca.us/ Read the LA County’s collection of lies about raw milk — and their gloating over their armed raid on Rawesome Foods — at: http://da.co.la.ca.us/mr/080311a.htm Sandi Gibbons is the Public Information Officer for the LA County District Attorney’s Office. She would also be another good person to call with your protest: Phone: 213-974-3525 Government agent #4: Siobhan DeLancey FDA Press Officer, participated in the investigation of Rawesome, covers Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, including food recalls. DeLancey has been caught spreading grossly misleading information about raw milk to the New York Times, including the fear-mongering claim that drinking raw milk causes children to become “paraplegics.” (Notice how she doesn’t say that taking FDA-approved medications can cause you to DIE?) Phone: 301-796-4668 Email: siobhan.delancey@fda.hhs.gov Government agent #5: Michelle LeCavalier Michelle is an Environmental Health Specialist III at the Department Of Health Services: 1501 Capitol Avenue, Suite 6001 Sacramento, CA 95814-5005 We could not locate an email for LeCavalier. If you can find one, let us know and we’ll update this article with it. Her boss is Jesus Urrutia , Chief EHS 6851 Lennox Ave. # 310 Van Nuys, CA 91405 (818) 902-4470 From this listing of district offices: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/DSE/districtOffices.htm The Director of Environmental Health for the County of Los Angeles is: Angelo J. Bellomo abellomo@ph.lacounty.gov 5050 Commerce Drive, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 Phone: (626) 430-5100 Fax: (626) 813-3000 You can also leave a message on the Environmental Health Emergency Hotline at (888) 700-9995 Or use their complaint form at: http://admin.publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/complaints/phcomp.cfm (You can use this form to complain about Dept. of Public Health!) Government mob boss: FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg The real mastermind behind all this is, of course, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a rogue government agency that’s widely engaged in acts of domestic terrorism against the American people (http://www.naturalnews.com/033280_FDA_raids_timeline.html). The mastermind who plots the FDA’s war against innocents is none other than Margaret Hamburg , the FDA Commissioner. Phone number for her office: 301-796-5000 Main FDA number: 888-463-6332 Email address #1: margaretahamburg@aol.com Email address #2: Margaret.Hamburg@fda.hhs.gov Be sure to send to both! Thanks go to this website for providing the emails: http://tekgnosis.typepad.com/tekgnosis/2011/08/fda-raid-on-rawesom-food-buyers-club-call-to-flood-eugenicist-gestapo-magaret-hamburg-with-callsemai.html Take action now: Send emails and call these numbers to voices your complaints! Previous protests organized by NaturalNews have been hugely effective at challenging tyrants and reminding them that they actions are completely unacceptable to freedom-loving Americans. Your phone calls and emails to officials of Oak Park, Michigan helped Julie Bass win her freedom from the tyrants operating there (http://www.naturalnews.com/033186_Julie_Bass_guerilla_gardening.html). Your complaints have also been heard loudly in Detroit Michigan where Maryanne Godboldo is facing multiple felony charges for refusing to medicate her daughter with psychiatric drugs: http://www.naturalnews.com/033295_parental_neglect_psychiatric_drugs.html Now, your voice can make a measurable impact against the government agents involved in these outrageous actions against Rawesome Foods. Join us in sending emails and making phone calls to voice your complaints against these out-of-control government bureaucrats — people who I consider to be parasites on society who believe they rule by force (at the end of a gun) and run a totalitarianism dictatorship right here in America. It’s time to put these people in their place and make sure they know we are watching and paying attention — and we will take action to protect our lives, our liberties and our pursuit of happiness, even in the face of total government oppression and intimidation.

Many medical journals have no policies regarding conflicts of interest in published research studies

(NaturalNews) The clinical trial analysis and research studies published in some medical journals — and that are used directly by doctors to diagnose and treat patients — could be posited in biased language due to secret financial ties to drug or medical device companies, and nobody would ever know it. Of 131 cancer journals sampled, a research team found that only 112 of them had any kind of policy requiring published research to state potential conflicts of interest — the other 19 had absolutely no policies whatsoever. Research that appears favorable to a new chemotherapy drug, for instance, might have been secretly prompted and funded by a drug company. But this disclosure would not be required in the 19 cancer journals sampled — and among the other 112, it may or may not be disclosed in a meaningful or consistent manner, the team found. Researchers presenting the findings on the drug in the journal could additionally have been paid to speak highly of it and minimize its side effects — and doctors and other readers would never know the difference. “Journals can’t even agree on what a conflict of interest means,” said Dr. Aaron S. Kesselheim from Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass., to Reuters Health concerning the findings. “It is certainly confusing to authors and to readers.” Back in 2009, an analysis by researchers from the University of Michigan (U-M) Comprehensive Cancer Center found that many clinical cancer studies published in reputable medical journals are directly connected to pharmaceutical companies. The analysis, which itself was published in the American Cancer Society journal CANCER , stated that conflicts of interest cause some researchers to report results that are favorable to drug companies, rather than those that are favorable to the actual truth (http://www.naturalnews.com/026314_cancer_research_studies.html). Kesselheim and his colleagues pored through 1,700 reports derived from various “high-impact” journals, and among the 27 that included editorials, only about half had any sort of conflict of interest disclosures. The others were falsely presented as having come from objective sources. “Physicians — like other professionals — are influenced by incentives, especially financial incentives,” added Kesselheim concerning the findings. “Conflicts of interest and financial relationships can have an impact on the research process and on the reporting of research, and they can also have an impact on physician behavior.” By itself, disclosure of financial and economic ties is not enough to fix the problem of research fraud Lack of consistency among disclosure policies in some journals, and the obvious lack of disclosure policies in others, are both highly problematic issues in medical research. But even if medical journals were to collectively agree on a consistent, standardized method of reporting conflicts of interest, this would not ultimately fix the problem of the inherent research fraud that persists behind the scenes. Speaking about their research concerning conflicts of interest in medical studies, U-M researchers suggested that cancer research in general is so deeply connected to the conventional cancer industry that comprehensive reform would be necessary in order to effectively clean up and restore integrity to the entire body of medical research that gets published today. “Given the frequency we observed for conflicts of interest and the fact that conflicts were associated with study outcomes, I would suggest that merely disclosing conflicts is probably not enough,” said Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, and assistant professor of radiation oncology at U-M, in a media statement in 2009. “It’s becoming increasingly clear that we need to look more at how we can disentangle cancer research from industry ties.” Ghostwriting is another major problem in medical journals, as drug companies routinely pay private consultants to pose as doctors and researchers, and write journal articles promoting various drugs and medical devices. In 2010, an investigation revealed that numerous drug companies including Wyeth (which has since become part of Pfizer), paid writers thousands of dollars to promote synthetic hormone replacement drugs like Prempro (http://www.naturalnews.com/029696_drug_companies_ghostwriting.html). The cancer industry is a racket, and almost all studies promoting expensive drugs are fraudulent Anyone who has been following NaturalNews for a while probably already knows that the cancer industry is a multi-billion-dollar profit machine that thrives on generating fear, and promoting grossly expensive, highly ineffective, treatments. Chemotherapy and radiation, which are the trademarks of conventional cancer treatment, are both completely ineffective at treating most major cancers — and yet these are primarily what cancer journals promote (http://www.naturalnews.com/027705_chemotherapy_fraud.html). These treatments costs tens of thousands of dollars a month, in many cases, and are touted as the only known methods of treating cancer — but in reality, they really do not treat anything, and typically kill patients faster than if they took nothing at all. But savvy natural health enthusiasts know that there are legitimate, alternative methods of both preventing and treating cancer without the use of deadly drugs, radiation blasts, and surgery. These include formal methods like the Gerson therapy (http://www.naturalnews.com/033045_Gerson_tapes_cancer.html), and everyday nutritional and lifestyle changes (http://www.naturalnews.tv/Browse.asp?categoryid=14). In conclusion, a good rule of thumb to use when trying to decide whether or not a medical journal research paper is legitimate or not, is this: if it promotes expensive synthetic drugs or deadly treatments that have nothing to do with lifestyle and nutrition changes, it is likely an industry-funded treatment that should be avoided. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/22/us-transparency-cancer-idUSTRE76L60S20110722

NaturalNews publishes Rawesome Foods raid search warrant; reveals government agents violated search guidelines

(NaturalNews) The recent act of government-sponsored terrorism against Rawesome Foods in Venice, California was authorized by a woman named Michelle LeCavalier. She signed the warrant which stated that she believed there was property at Rawesome Foods that was “used as the means of committing a felony.” (What, the raw cheese? Did someone cut the cheese and cause a silent-but-deadly felony nuisance?) The warrant goes on to state that the law enforcement agents should search “all rooms, attics, refrigerators, freezers… purses, wallets, briefcases and vehicles of both James Stewart (Rawesome Foods) and Sharon Palmer (Healthy Family Farms).” The warrant also grants them the permission to inspect, copy and even seize all computer files, video camera files, audio recording files and all the data of all computers. Additional items to be seized, as described in the warrant, include: • Any evidence of “interstate transportation” (so they can charge these people with felony FEDERAL crimes). • All membership agreements of their current members (customers); this way they can intimidate customers, too. • Documents concerning the Right To Choose Healthy Foods (RTCHF) organization, which fights for food freedom at www.RawMilk.org (the government is going after these advocacy groups, too, with their terrorist tactics). • All tax records (so they can try to find some tax error and then charge them with federal tax fraud). • All real estate transactions, billing records, purchasing records and club records. • All emails, receipts, cash register data, credit cards receipts, inventory records and so on. • All computers and electronic devices. The warrant shows that government terrorists stole both Dell and Apple computers from Rawesome. • All address books, telephone numbers, contacts, client lists, business cards, etc. This is so the government terrorists can contact Rawesome Foods customers and then conduct illegal raids on their homes for buying “contraband” raw milk. … and a lot more, including prescription medication bottles, employment records, keys and much more. Read the warrant yourself at: http://www.naturalnews.com/files/RawWarrant1088-NoSSN.pdf Government terrorists destroy entire Rawesome Foods inventory The warrant also states that “various samples of any food products present may be taken for laboratory analysis.” But this, of course, is not what happened at all. Instead of taking a few samples, the government terrorists from the LA County Dept. of Agriculture poured all the milk down the drain , then stole all the vegetables, fruits, cheese and eggs and loaded them up into a truck and drove away, leaving Rawesome Foods completely empty . In other words, they stole or destroyed the ENTIRE INVENTORY of Rawesome Foods! (We have photos to prove this and will be posted them soon…) They also made off with over $4,500 in cash belonging to the owner James Stewart. This destruction, of course, was an act of terrorism, not the carrying out of a search warrant. This is why I am accurately referring to these people as government-sponsored terrorists . The signatures of the Property Clerk, Agent and Supervisor on the warrant are all completely illegible , obscuring their names (government terrorists don’t want to be identified by name, so they make sure their names are unreadable). The only name legible on the warrant is Michelle LeCavalier, whose office failed to return our repeated phone calls. (We spoke with the public affairs department and asked for a return call to get a statement. No return call has yet been received.) Who is Michelle LeCavalier? I want to know who this state employee is and why she is engaged in authorizing acts of terrorism against innocent citizens of California. Attempts to find out more about LeCavalier have so far failed, although NaturalNews has confirmed that she is a California state employee who worked under the Dept. of Health at one point. If you have any information about Michelle LeCavalier, or a link to an online photo of her, please let us know. This woman needs to be held accountable for her role in authorizing acts of government terrorism against the People. A government out of control What this Rawesome Foods raid demonstrates is the depths of the evil of Big Government and its incessant desire to enslave the people by denying them their natural born rights. We are watching a criminal, terrorist government engage in acts of war against innocent small business owners who are serving an important public interest by providing health-enhancing, wholesome and non-processed foods to members of the public. This is a service that should be lauded, not targeted for termination. This combination of government thugs from both California and the federal government have maliciously carried out the following crimes: • The KIDNAPPING of James Stewart and Sharon Palmer. • The THEFT of cash from Rawesome Foods. • The DESTRUCTION of private property by destroying all the raw food products at Rawesome Foods. • The HACKING of computers and electronic devices found at Rawesome Foods. • The CONSPIRACY to commit the above acts, of which Michelle LaCavalier is perhaps the most guilty. And why did the government commit these heinous crimes against innocent people? Did Rawesome Foods harm anyone? Nope. Did any customers complain about Rawesome Foods? Not at all. Customers LOVE the place! Did Rawesome Foods place public health at risk in any way? Certainly not. Raw milk is healthier than dead, processed, pasteurized milk. So WHY did the government decide to target this business for its planned acts of terrorism designed to destroy its business operations and imprison its owners? Because the government wants to take away your access to real food! Just as the FDA is now trying to take away your access to nutritional supplements through its new NDI regulations (http://naturalnews.com/032912_FDA_dietary_supplements.html). Big Government actively seeks to destroy health and freedom Under the leadership of President Obama, you see, the U.S. government is now in the business of destroying public health, unleashing genetically modified organisms across the country (http://www.naturalnews.com/033022_Scotts_Miracle-Gro_GMO_seeds.html) and denying your right to choose your own food or medicine! Julie Bass, the Michigan gardener, was recently threatened with 93 days of jail for growing tomatoes in her own front yard (http://www.naturalnews.com/032960_Julie_Bass_home_gardening.html). A farmer in Missouri, Armand Bechard, has been threatened by authorities there for selling raw milk (http://www.naturalnews.com/030974_raw_milk_victory.html). Amish farmers have been threatened multiple times for producing raw milk on their own family farms (http://www.naturalnews.com/030974_raw_milk_victory.html). What’s clear from this pattern is that our government is out of control and a serious threat to food freedom in America. If we don’t reign in this runaway rogue government , we are all going to end up as junk food mind slaves with no freedoms at all (and no health, either). I’m surprised these goons in California even bothered with a warrant. Why not just throw the Fourth Amendment out the window and raid the store without a warrant? It’s all lawless and criminal anyway. The fabricated warrant only serves to slap the illusion of “right” on a document that’s being used by a criminal government to terrorize small business owners and drive honest folks out of business. Please donate to the Rawesome Foods legal defense fund. We are collecting donations right now through www.ConsumerWellness.org and sending 100% of all donations straight to Rawesome. James Stewart is right now facing $123,000 in bail, which is over 300% larger than the bail typically set for murderers! Please also continue to follow this breaking story here at NaturalNews. More developments to come…

Consolidation of seed companies leading to corporate domination of world food supply

(NaturalNews) Throughout the history of agriculture across the globe, farming has always been a diversified sector of the economy. Small, self-sustaining, family farms were the order of the day in most cultures. Even as small farms grew larger and more specialized over time, many of them still saved seeds or purchased them from other farmers, which kept control of farming in the hands of the people. But today everything has changed, as large chemical and agribusiness firms have acquired or merged with seed companies and other agricultural input companies. They have successfully gained a foothold on genetically-modified (GM) crops with transgenic traits. These primary factors and several others have facilitated a crescendo towards the global domination of agriculture by corporations, and thus the world’s food supply. The dismal state in which we find ourselves today did not come overnight, of course, but it did pick up rapid speed after the introduction of GM crops in the mid-1990s. Since that time, multinational corporations like Monsanto, DuPont, and Syngenta have seized a significant amount of control over the global seed industry, which has greatly limited agricultural diversity and freedom. The ability to patent both seeds and seed traits has also added injury to insult, as the ability to obtain natural or heirloom seeds is becoming increasingly difficult, and many farmers feel they have no choice but to go with the flow. Professor Philip H. Howard from the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies at Michigan State University published a study in 2009 entitled Visualizing Consolidation in the Global Seed Industry: 1996 – 2008 that analyzes the trend in agriculture towards corporate dominance. The report, which was featured in a special issue of the journal Renewable Agriculture , provides both an extensive data analysis of agriculture’s dramatic transformation over the past several decades, as well as a highly-informative visual analysis of this truly shocking hostile takeover situation. The ‘Big Six” pharmaceutical and chemical companies have acquired, created joint ventures with hundreds of seed companies over the past 15 years In order to help assist his readers in understanding the state of the seed industry, Prof. Howard developed a very informative graphic that displays the reality of who really controls the seed industry. Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, Dow, and BASF collectively own or partially-own hundreds of formerly-independent seed companies — and Monsanto, of course, dominates them all. You can view the graphic for yourself at the following link: http://www.naturalnews.com/files/seedindustry.pdf As you will see, the blue circles in the diagram represent seed companies, while the red circles — which happen to all be chemical or pharmaceutical companies — control the vast majority of them. Solid gray arrows indicate complete ownership of a company, while gray lines indicate partial ownership. One of the most obvious first impressions to be gathered from the diagram is Monsanto’s excessive and widespread control over the seed industry. According to Prof. Howard’s analysis, Monsanto acquired more than 50 seed companies just during the time represented by his study period, which spans the years between 1996 and 2008. Monsanto had little-to-no involvement in the seed industry prior to the mid-1980s, but since that time has been rapidly eating up seed companies and furthering its development and control over the food supply through GMOs. Today, Monsanto is the world’s largest seed company, and the transnational behemoth continues to acquire or otherwise create “partnerships” with various independent seed companies that are still in existence. Behind Monsanto, the other five of the “Big Six” that Prof. Howard illustrates — DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, Dow, and BASF — collectively own or control a great portion of the remaining major seed companies not owned or controlled by Monsanto. And one of the biggest factors that has contributed to this dismal setup is GMOs and transgenic, patentable seed traits that are shared among the industry players. The “Big Six” each have agreements with one or more of the others; their overall success has largely hinged on GMOs and increased control of agricultural inputs The only thing worse than Monsanto and the dominance of the seed market are the cozy relationships with one another. Prof. Howard’s analysis reveals that every company in the “Big Six” has at least one mutual relationship with one another, and they together share corporate control of the seed industry. Monsanto has established cross-licensing agreements for its transgenic patents with every single other company in the mix, while Dow has agreements with all except for Bayer. And Syngenta has agreements with Dow, Monsanto, and DuPont, while BASF has agreements with Dow and Monsanto. What does this all mean? It means that the already-disturbing oligarchy that controls the seed industry is shaping up to become a total monopoly with Monsanto at the helm, of course. And as transgenic technology continues to develop, which forces farmers to either go with the flow or leave the business, there may soon be no other choices in farming besides whatever Monsanto has to offer. One would think that farmers would be more aware of this takeover and resist it. But the “Big Six” effectively fly under the radar, in most cases, by selling their seeds and chemicals through various vendors and under different names. According to Prof. Howard, this is how they effectively maintain an illusion of competition and choice in the midst of their takeover. How things got this bad and how the situation can be fixed Real competition in the seed industry has been systematically deconstructed over the years for numerous reasons. Besides blatant industry consolidation and takeover by drug and chemical companies, many farmers have simply been willing to accept the latest seed technologies, even when it has meant having to give up their seed saving freedom, and being forced to rely on the intensive use of chemicals and other synthetic interventions in order to farm. Prof. Howard explains that a concept known as the “agricultural treadmill” has been a major contributing factor in the demise of the seed industry. Because demand for food is largely inelastic, any increase in production will cause crop prices to fall. So as new farming technologies emerge, farmers that adopt them first inadvertently force all the other farmers to adopt them as well, just to maintain the same level of revenue. If they do not adopt them, or fail to keep up with other farmers on the treadmill, they will eventually fall off, or be forced out of the farming business altogether. Other factors include changes in policy that have decreased the barriers to accumulation that have prevented agricultural takeover in the past. By developing patented, transgenic traits, seed companies have been able to overcome a barrier to accumulation in agriculture. When farmers cannot save their GM seeds, the corporate owners can effectively maintain a continual, yearly cash flow just from selling seeds and their corresponding pesticides and herbicides, which in turn makes agriculture a vastly more profitable enterprise for preying corporations like Monsanto than it used to be. So what is the solution? Prof. Howard suggests improving antitrust enforcement, which will prevent the continual shift of seed company ownership and gradual accumulation of the food chain by a few large companies. Another idea is to create policies that fight against the agricultural treadmill phenomenon, and that instead promote independent, self-sustaining agricultural systems that maintain control of food with the people rather than the corporations. Perhaps the most effective suggestion — and one that we here at NaturalNews strongly advocate for as well — is to end the practice of granting patents on living organisms. By re-establishing this most-effective obstacle to accumulation, there will be no more incentive for multinational biotechnology companies like Monsanto to focus on dominating agriculture because there will be no more opportunity for the massive accumulation of wealth and capital through patented seeds. Sources for this story include: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/visualizing-consolidation-in-the-global-seed-industry-1996%E2%80%932008 http://www.naturalnews.com/files/seedindustry.pdf

Heartworm drugs for pets; Big Pharma’s cash cow

(NaturalNews) In a seemingly diabolical plot, veterinarians and pharmaceutical companies have teamed up in a marketing campaign to frighten pet guardians into giving year-round heartworm preventatives to their cats, as well as dogs. These so-called experts say they’re doing this to improve protection for individual pets, but the facts say their motives may be less pure. With few exceptions, heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) are a completely seasonal problem, so there is no reason to give heartworm medicine to ANY pet year-round-except to make money for those who make and sell it! Those financially-motivated folks say the number of cases will rise unless everybody gives the medications. They rationalize this by citing statistics on how most people don’t use the products, and proclaiming that the number of unprotected dogs will surely cause even more disease. However, despite years of many animals being given unnecessary drugs and many more who aren’t, the prevalance of heartworm has not really changed. In fact, a recent headline in a veterinary publication trumpeted, “Heartworm now found in all 50 states”–as if it was a triumph! While that statement may be technically true, the survey did not differentiate between all dogs testing positive for heartworm, and dogs testing positive for heartworm that came from somewhere else! The increase in positive-testing dogs may be attributable to the widespread dispersion of heartworm-infected dogs after Hurricane Katrina, rather than a true increase in the level of disease. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. Heartworm larvae, called microfilaria, live in the blood and are sucked up by the bug. Once inside the mosquito, they must further develop before they can infect another dog. For that to occur, outside temperatures must remain above 57 degrees F, day and night, for a certain period of time (but at least 8 days). The warmer the temperature, the faster the larvae will mature. If the temperature drops below the critical level, larval development will stop, but the larvae don’t die, development will re-start at the same point when the weather warms back up. Larvae reach their infective stage in 8 to 30 days (the latter being the insect’s entire lifespan-if the larvae haven’t matured by then, they will die along with the mosquito). It should be obvious that during seasons and in areas where there are no mosquitoes, there is no risk of heartworm. Evidently that little fact escaped the attention of the veterinarian who prescribed heartworm protection — in December-for a puppy living high in the Colorado mountains. At that altitude, temperatures are never warm enough for heartworms! On this map, heartworm risk is shown by the month when the use of heartworm preventatives should begin. In most states, protection should be continued through November or December. In the Michigan UP, preventatives are suggested from August through October. Within 150 miles of the Gulf Coast and other areas in pink, prevention is recommended from April through January. In the red areas of southern Texas and Florida, year-round preventatives may be needed. Local conditions may vary from year to year. Global warming, hurricanes/flooding, and other factors may increase the mosquito population and thus influence heartworm risk. (This map is a very loose approximation only, and is not intended to be used exclusively to determine risk.) http://www.naturalnews.com/images/US-Heartworm-Map-1.jpg When an infected mosquito bites a dog or cat, the microfilaria are deposited on the skin, where they then crawl into the bite wound and enter the bloodstream. Inside the body, they grow and progress through other larval forms. In dogs, the heartworm’s natural host, larvae migrate to the heart and eventually develop into adult worms. In cats, full-grown worms can develop (but not reproduce). A cat cannot transmit the disease. Adult heartworms are over a foot long when grown (in 6-8 months), but it takes only 1 or 2 to fill up a cat’s tiny heart and cause serious problems. However, in 80% of infections, the cat’s own immune system kills the larvae at an earlier stage, and clears the infection. However, heartworms don’t have to be full-grown to cause problems. In cats, a respiratory condition can develop. Not-quite-full-grown microfilaria can get stuck small blood vessels in the lungs, where they can cause significant inflammation and damage. This uniquely feline condition is called Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease, or HARD. Symptoms are similar to asthma; and it’s possible that some “asthmatic” cats are misdiagnosed with an immune-mediated disease instead of a parasite. Even so, about half of infected cats never develop any signs of heartworm disease at all. And while the disease causes serious damage to the lungs, much of the damage may be reversible by the body’s normal healing processes. Chronic and sequential infections have not been studied. Indoor cats are, of course, less likely to be bitten by a mosquito, but anyone who’s ever been around them knows that the little buggers can be quite persistent, so it isn’t impossible. In one study, 25% of heartworm-positive cats were reported to be indoors-only. Outdoor cats are at higher risk not only for heartworm but also for feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV or feline AIDS), and all the other parasites, injuries, and diseases common to outdoor cats. However, keeping all pets indoors during prime mosquito-feeding time (late afternoon an evening) will greatly reduce the risk of a bite. Heartworm preventative drugs do not kill adult heartworms, but they do kill microfilaria up to a certain stage of development. Currently it is believed that larvae under 6 weeks old are affected. This means that in order to prevent heartworms from reaching adulthood, the preventative can be given up to 6 weeks after the mosquito bite occurs, and still work. The recommendation is to give the drugs every 30 days, purportedly because once-a-month dosing is easier for most people to remember (and, coincidentally, it also sells more drugs!). The most common preventative drugs for heartworm are ivermectin (Heartgard) and selamectin (Revolution). While these drugs are generally considered “safe and effective” at the low doses used for heartworm prevention, there are always exceptions. Signs of toxicity associated with ivermectin include: depression, ataxia (balance problems or unsteady walk), and blindness. Selamectin is also used to treat ear mites and some intestinal worms; adverse reactions include hair loss at the site of application, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle tremors, anorexia, lethargy, salivation, rapid breathing, and contact allergy. Most veterinarians hand out heartworm preventatives like candy; but there is a serious and growing problem of resistance of heartworms to these drugs. This means that we are selecting for “superworms” that will be able to survive and grow even in animals on heartworm preventatives (despite Big Pet Pharma’s denials that this is happening). As with all cases of drug resistance, the correct response is to reduce use of the drug and reserve it only for when it is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, the veterinary profession and drug industries have decided to go for profits instead, and are continuing to call for all pets to be on medications all year round. This is bad science, and it is bad policy. The Big Pet Pharma folks are very protective of the income from heartworm drugs, and will apparently stop at nothing to increase profits. Merial, maker of the popular heartworm preventative Heartgard, was repeatedly warned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop exaggerating the effectiveness of the product (which has been declining for at least a decade). Moreover, a fired Merial executive filed suit against Merial, claiming that the company deliberately lied for years, not only about the product’s effectiveness, but also the true number and severity of adverse events. Pfizer’s Animal Health division alone, which makes the heartworm preventative Revolution as well as vaccines and other animal drugs, is valued at $10 billion to $16 billion (and may soon be sold to Merial or another competitor!). If you feel you must use heartworm prevention products, get them from your veterinarian. Surveys have found mislabeled, expired, imported, and counterfeit products being sold from other sources. Follow dosage instructions and do not over-treat. NEVER, EVER use a heartworm product made for dogs on a cat. The components are different between dog and cat products, and dog products can kill a cat in a matter of hours. Many cats have suffered and died this way.

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