"Security is not proven"

But the truth is that they say that money rule the world, that a big business will always be able to agree with the regulators, even if the product they produce is frankly harmful and destructive? That poor consumers only remains to hope for themselves and dream of a triumph of justice?

In the 1960s, new silicone breast implants appeared on the US market. Yes, those who have become the hallmark of magazine beauties. According to the current legislation, manufacturers were not required to conduct safety tests, so there were no problems with implementation. In addition, the goods turned out to be very in demand. However, after some time, anecdotal cases of the detection of breast cancer, systemic diseases of connective tissue and other phenomena attributed to these components began to emerge in the scientific and yellow press. This is not to say that the situation was calm.

In 1976, the legislation changed, but the implants successfully remained in the “safe” status. Only in 1988, the American FDA (The Food and Drug Administration - an agency in the United States, monitoring the safety of food, drugs, tobacco and cosmetics. - Note, ed. ) Danced the "problem", prescribing to manufacturers to provide scientific evidence of products safety within 30 months. A completely reasonable requirement gave an unexpected result.

It all started with the TV. In 1990, in the popular television show, a heartbreaking interview with a woman, sick with autoimmune disease, was demonstrated. Implants and FDA were guilty, allowing unverified products to the market. Then politicians who organized public hearings about the dangers of implications were connected. Various local "consumer protection societies" arrived in time. Yesterday, the things considered ordinary and household gradually gained the status of a symbol of the lawlessness of companies, the inaction of the authorities and the struggle of people for their safety.

In early 1992, FDA recognized the evidence of security insufficient and introduced a historical ban. The representative of the FDA noted that there is no reliable evidence of harm from implants, the ban is introduced only on the basis that "safety is not proven." But it was too late. The silicone genie has already begun to fly around the continent. The jury courts without any investigations, content with the statements of the “victims”, satisfied the multimillion -dollar lawsuits.

As if by wave of the wand, both “scientists” and “experts” were found, who on the move came up with possible reasons for how silicone provokes the disease of connective tissue and causes an immune response. In two years, the number of claims reached 20 thousand. There were completely amazing among them. One of the applicants complained about diseases of the respiratory system, allegedly caused by an implant. Protection lawyers tried to draw the attention of the jury to the woman’s addiction to cigarettes, but were not heard. The jury judged as a fair and offended society was to judge. The "villains" were punished. No one had scientific evidence. Neither evidence of harm, nor evidence of harmlessness.

Due to the problems with payments of billions of billions in 1994, the leading producer of implants, the company of Dow Corning, said bankruptcy. The claims began to be sent not to implant manufacturers, but to those who come to hand.

Imagine only to yourself: you made steel. Another person made a knife out of her. The third man was stabbed with this knife of the fourth man. And they punished you, because you made steel. In the case of implant-mi, no one even cut anyone, but the scheme is the same. One of the “victims” at the end of 1995 received in court from the Dow Chemical $ 14 million. Only for the sacrament to develop silicone. A little more, and it seemed that the claims could be filed with D.I. Mendeleev, for the fact that silicon is in his table.

But people were sick?! After all, this is all for a reason, when problems begin after implantation?! There are no such coincidences, many thought.

Of course, people were sick. And, of course, there are coincidences. The presence of "coincidences" is dictated by probability theory.

About 1% of women in the United States have implants. About 1% of women have systemic diseases of connective tissue. Even with complete independence of these phenomena, tens of thousands have both at the same time. The task of science is not at all the calculation of unhappy owners of silicone prostheses. The task of science is to find out whether the probability of gaining health problems is growing after prosthetics with silicone.

The first major work, which confirmed the lack of additional risks from implants, was published in 1994 a year later - another with the same conclusions. Everything is in the midst of antilonic hysteria. Then they were also with the same conclusions. Representatives of manufacturers tried to appeal to these works. But who will believe them, reptiles?! Who is interested in research when it comes to justice?! What is science, if here they are living people, with diseases and implants at the same time?

There were claims against the manufacturers, may readers, prostheses of male organs will forgive me. There was a shortage of spare parts that unexpectedly arising in the USA market - after all, it is from silicone that many minor, penny, but the necessary details of medical equipment are made. There was a deficiency of catheter, artificial heart valves and other “trinkets”. European manufacturers, after a lawsuit with Dow Chemical, simply refused silicone supplies. “Dupont”, for example, refused to supply even polyester material necessary for vascular prosthetics in the United States. How many real victims were, not only in the person of those who who had undergone the proper care of the patients, but also no one who lost their jobs that lost their jobs, no one counted and will never calculate.

However, this is nonsense in comparison with the triumph of justice in the name of the fight against corporations! Or, more precisely, in the name of the fight against science.

Based on materials: www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejm199606063342306