Comments Page on Ovide Malathion for head lice

The company that makes a malathion-based lice shampoo for children is threatening to sue NoSprayer and non-toxic pesticide applicator Steve Tvedten for comments he allegedly made regarding the company's product.

The fact that the lawyer for the company reports that the company's products with malathion (and other ingredients) are "safe" is of course debatable, and possibly a violation of law to make such a claim. (They should use "less harmful" or other such terms, rather than conveying that it is SAFE. But then they'd have to explain, "less harmful than WHAT?")

At any rate, if you'd like to see the exchange of letters, they're fascinating. Just join the SprayNo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com listserve and read the recent archives.

And, just to be clear, the No Spray Coalition backs Steve Tvedten 100 percent -- feel free, Steve, to put that in your next counterattack! Should the company be so stupid as to actually sue Steve (or any of us), the Coalition will do all we can to support him and defend the right to speak truth to corporate power.

Subject: Malathion -- safe?
    Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 16:14:26 -0400
   From: "Ashley Hotz" <ahotz@mindspring.com>
       To: <bfoster@swlaw.com>

Mr. Foster,

As an attorney you may actually believe that Malathion is "safe", but in reality, many persons have been permanently injured by organophosphate products that have undergone EPA registration. The word "safe" is inappropriate to use when describing products containing OPs.

When EPA does its risk assessments it does not take into consideration the fact that a significant portion of the population is deficient in the enzymes essential for detoxification.

In the eleven years I have been reporting on chemical injury issues, the organophosphate class of pesticides stand out as the most devastating to vulnerable populations that includes, but is not limited to children. Children do not have fully developed detoxification systems to help protect them against synthetic neurotoxins.

OPs have devastated many thousands of lives and left persons with devastating chronic illnesses and brain damage, even when using these registered products according to the label.

The medical and legal literature describe a long history of unintended consequences of such registered products, and the word "safe" should not be used to describe them under any circumstances. There are even federal regulations that state that pesticide manufacturers may not make any claim of safety, and that no claim other that what is stated on the label may be offered. Mr. Tvetden would most certainly win in a court of law, and could likely counter sue for SLAPP tactics.

From:      Rex Warren - Australia
      To:      Steve Tvedten
    Sent:     Tuesday, July 23, 2002 8:00 AM
Subject:     Re: Response to Medicis' (Malathion) Second Litigation Letter (See attached)

Hi Steve,
Some people are bloody idiots! (Pharmaceutical grade) malathion? Now that I've got to see!!
..... along with pigs launching themselves into space on their next landing on Mars.

Rex Warren

    From:     Indra Sinha - India
        To:     Steve Tvedten
     Sent:     Tuesday, July 23, 2002 10:56 AM
Subject:     Re: Response to Medicis' (Malathion) Second Litigation Letter (See attached)

Yay Steve, good for you. Tell those bastards like it is! Wish there were more like you about, mate. If there had been, twenty years ago, maybe Bhopal wouldn't have happened.

The other thing that strikes me is these dickheads don't hesitate to issue legal threats when they think they can intimidate you, but when they (I am talking now of Dow/Carbide) are summonsed to court to account for the deaths of 20,000 people in the most horrible ways in the world's worst ever chemical disaster, what do they do? They thumb their noses at the (Indian) court and tell it go hang. The law is a game played - and not even played fairly - by these people for their own benefit. God rot them all.

Good cess to you,

Indra

    From:     <ORGANICMOSQUITO@AOL.COM>
        To:     <sprayno@yahoogroups.com>
     Sent:     Tuesday, July 23, 2002 10:15 PM
Subject:     Re: [sprayno] Ovide Co. threatens to sue NoSprayer Steve Tvedten

Tell em to speak to Oprah and cattleman's association with regards to disparaging remarks. That a whole lotta bull!

   From:     Liztlaw@aol.com
       To:     steve@getipm.com
     Sent:     Wednesday, July 24, 2002 8:43 AM
Subject:     Re: Response to Medicis' (Malathion) Second Litigation Letter (See attached)

I thought so, Steve, but I wanted to make sure. My only free advice to you is that truth is a complete defense in defamation cases.

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