New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project
Encyclopedia
The New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project was founded in New York City
in 2003 with the purpose of treating rescue workers for toxins inhaled from the smoke of the September 11 attacks. It has two clinics; Downtown Medical on Fulton Street, two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center
and another at Williston Park, Long Island
. The project's co-founder and top fundraiser is the actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise
. It uses the Purification Rundown
, a "detoxification" program invented by L. Ron Hubbard
as part of Scientology
's Bridge to Total Freedom. This rundown has been criticized by many doctors as pseudoscientific
and medically dangerous, although it has produced positive testimonials from some recipients. It was reported in October 2007 that 838 people had completed the program.
The project has been supported by some public officials, and received some public funding, but received criticism for its financial ties to the Church of Scientology
, for exposing rescue workers to potential medical dangers, and for discouraging their use of orthodox medicine. Sources in the Fire Department
told a reporter that several participants had joined Scientology, even disconnecting from their families
.
had stated after the World Trade Center attack that the air was safe to breathe. The video narration contradicted this, saying, "The devastation had spread an unprecedented combination of toxins through the air — and it was lethal." Cruise is seen dismissing the EPA's all-clear:
In an appearance on CNN
's Larry King Live
, Cruise said that he founded the project out of concern that 9/11 survivors would suffer leukemia
, parkinsonism
, multiple sclerosis
or cancer
as a result of toxins in their fatty tissue. He advocated Hubbard's "research" as the only way to deal with these problems because, "Doctors do not know how to diagnose chemical exposures [...] You go to a doctor and now he's going to put you on more and more drugs, steroids and things that are ineffective".
, who set out the procedure in Clear Body, Clear Mind
, one of the canonical texts
of Scientology
. Known as the "Purification rundown" or "Purif", it is promoted through various groups affiliated with the Church of Scientology
. It claims to flush poisons from the body's fat stores using exercise, saunas, and high doses of vitamins, particularly niacin
. Many medical experts have judged it to be unproven, ineffective and/or potentially dangerous. A report for the Department of Health
in California described the mega-doses of vitamins as "hazardous" and "in some cases lethal". Scientology's own literature reports dehydration
, electrolyte disturbances including hyponatremia
(low sodium level) and hypokalemia
(low potassium level), and heat-related illnesses
as being frequent side-effects of the program. Testimonials from participants credit it with improvements in physical and mental health, but several families blame the Rundown for the death of a relative.
The project's clients were required to attend this programme three hours each day, for between twenty-one and forty days. This was promoted as a way to treat memory loss, respiration problems
, fatigue and other problems suffered by the Ground Zero workers.
. The project also received private funding, the biggest supporter being Tom Cruise
. Other celebrity donors included Paul Newman
, Paul McCartney
, Adam Sandler
, Leah Remini
, Will Smith
and Jada Pinkett Smith
. By late 2004, these donations amounted to $2.3 million. The detoxification program has been offered for free to rescue workers, and also offered to other New York City residents, some of whom paid $5,000.
According to tax filings, the project pays on some of its money to two bodies, related to the Church of Scientology
, that promote the Purification Rundown. These are the Association for Better Living and Education
(ABLE), which receives 5% of all contributions, and the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE). The Executive Director of the Church of Scientology was involved in creating the Foundation and later described it as a "front group". In one year, $173,300 of Downtown Medical's income went to Dr. Steven Lager, a Scientologist. , the director of the project was Jim Woodworth, a former drug addict who credits his recovery to the Purification Rundown
. He was formerly the executive director of HealthMed, a Sacramento, California
group which promotes Hubbard's approach to detoxification.
, a former member of New York City Council
, endorsed the programme and helped it to win public funding. Subsequently she received nearly $115,000 in campaign contributions from Scientologists. Another councillor, Joseph Patrick Addabbo
also supported the project, telling reporters, "The project seems to work. I've seen it firsthand." Mayor Michael Bloomberg
spoke out against Addabbo and López for their connections with the program, saying that Scientology is "not science, and we should only fund those programs that reputable scientists believe will stand the light of day."
Another supportive member of the City Council was Hiram Monserrate
. Monserrate went through the program himself, and drafted official proclamations honoring both Tom Cruise and L. Ron Hubbard. Describing himself as a Christian, he distanced himself from Scientology but said he believes in the Purification Rundown. Another councillor (and chair of the Public Safety Committee), Peter Vallone, Jr.
vocally criticized the detoxification project and argued that public money should not be spent on it. He accused Monserrate of crossing the line between "cult and state".
The project's publicity included favorable quotations from Senator Charles Schumer and from Michael Balboni
, New York's deputy secretary for Public Security, though Schumer later withdrew his support and Balboni denied ever making the statement. Council speaker Christine C. Quinn
denounced the program as meritless. U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney
wrote a letter supporting the project. Dr. Bob Hoffman of the New York City Poison Control Center
warned that the Purification Rundown is potentially dangerous, calling it "hocus pocus". Mayor Doreen Ehrbar of Williston Park took part in the opening ceremony for the Long Island clinic.
Neither the police
nor the fire department
officially supported the project. The Uniformed Firefighters Association
initially supported it but withdrew when the connection to the Church of Scientology was revealed. Firefighter union president Patrick Bahnken said his members' lives had benefited from the program and that it had involved no religious rhetoric. Deputy Fire Commissioner Frank Gribbon of the FDNY told the New York Times, "while we are aware some members of the department have availed themselves of the program, we in no way endorse it". Officials at the department raised concerns that firefighters were giving up existing medications in order to take part. The department's deputy chief medical officer Dr. David Prezant said, "It's not our job to say you can't go. All we can do is say there's no proven evidence it works."
Actress and radio show host Janeane Garofalo
drew criticism by allowing Scientologist Leah Remini
to promote the project on her Air America Radio
show.
, aluminium
and magnesium
. The Fire Department's chief medical officer, Dr. Kerry Kelly, criticized the lack of objective evidence, saying, "I have trouble believing in these purple-stained towels."
An investigation by the New York Press
asked a number of independent doctors about the evidence for the Purification Rundown. None of them endorsed the program's effectiveness and some explicitly described it as dangerous. Several said that no peer-reviewed research
on the rundown had been published in any medical journal. Some apparently supportive studies have been published, but these lack control groups
and have other scientific failings. According to Deputy Fire Commissioner Frank Gribbon, doctors investigating the program on behalf of the Fire Department concluded that it was not detoxifying. University of Georgia
bioterrorism expert Cham Dallas also denied that the procedure could detoxify, saying "It sounds great and they mean well, but it just doesn't work."
In 2007, James Dahlgren and colleagues published a small-sample pilot study assessing the project. Dahlgren is a doctor who promotes the Purification Rundown as a method of detoxification. The study claimed to find evidence both of elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans
(PCDFs) in the rescue workers and improvement during the regime. Two scientists from Cambridge Environmental, Inc. published a thorough critique of the study. They questioned the premise that WTC rescue workers needed detoxification, citing studies that had found that their blood concentration of toxins was no greater than normal.
The paper argues that the project never properly tested its outcomes and concludes that application of the "potentially dangerous" Purification Rundown to the health problems of 9/11 workers is "unconscionable".
Many of the participants spoke favorably of the program and reported improved physical and mental health. Others said they were just taking advantage of the free saunas. One Fire Department lieutenant was quoted describing colleagues as desperate for help with the distress they felt in the aftermath of the attacks, to the point that they would try anything. Fire Department officials raised concerns about the project, saying that firefighters were being required to give up inhalers, pills and other orthodox medication. Two weeks into the program, one firefighter passed out and was taken to an emergency room with severe asthma, later saying that he had been asked to stop using his inhaler. According to the clinic's associate medical director, Dr. Kawabena Nyamekye, participants were being helped off medication at their own insistence, not at the request of Downtown Medical. A former worker at Downtown Medical told reporters that staff were discouraged from calling for an ambulance even in an emergency, and that one of them had been required to break off contact with her boyfriend because he had left Scientology. A spokesman responded that the clinic had "a clear policy of calling 911 when needed."
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2003 with the purpose of treating rescue workers for toxins inhaled from the smoke of the September 11 attacks. It has two clinics; Downtown Medical on Fulton Street, two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
and another at Williston Park, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The project's co-founder and top fundraiser is the actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
. It uses the Purification Rundown
Purification Rundown
The Purification Rundown, also known as the Purif or the Hubbard Method, is a controversial detoxification program developed by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard and used by the Church of Scientology as an introductory service. Scientologists consider it the only effective way to deal with the...
, a "detoxification" program invented by L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
as part of Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
's Bridge to Total Freedom. This rundown has been criticized by many doctors as pseudoscientific
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
and medically dangerous, although it has produced positive testimonials from some recipients. It was reported in October 2007 that 838 people had completed the program.
The project has been supported by some public officials, and received some public funding, but received criticism for its financial ties to the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
, for exposing rescue workers to potential medical dangers, and for discouraging their use of orthodox medicine. Sources in the Fire Department
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
told a reporter that several participants had joined Scientology, even disconnecting from their families
Disconnection
Disconnection, when used in Scientology, is a term used to describe the severance of all ties between a Scientologist and a friend, colleague, or family member deemed to be antagonistic towards Scientology. The practice of disconnection is a form of shunning. Among Scientologists, disconnection is...
.
Background
Scientologists criticise EPA
Tom Cruise explained his motivation for setting up the project in a Scientology promotional video that leaked onto the internet in January 2008. The Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
had stated after the World Trade Center attack that the air was safe to breathe. The video narration contradicted this, saying, "The devastation had spread an unprecedented combination of toxins through the air — and it was lethal." Cruise is seen dismissing the EPA's all-clear:
In an appearance on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, Cruise said that he founded the project out of concern that 9/11 survivors would suffer leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, parkinsonism
Parkinsonism
Parkinsonism is a neurological syndrome characterized by tremor, hypokinesia, rigidity, and postural instability. The underlying causes of parkinsonism are numerous, and diagnosis can be complex...
, multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
or cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
as a result of toxins in their fatty tissue. He advocated Hubbard's "research" as the only way to deal with these problems because, "Doctors do not know how to diagnose chemical exposures [...] You go to a doctor and now he's going to put you on more and more drugs, steroids and things that are ineffective".
"Detoxification" in Scientology
The "detoxification" program was created by L. Ron HubbardL. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
, who set out the procedure in Clear Body, Clear Mind
Clear Body, Clear Mind
Clear Body, Clear Mind is a book published in 1990 by the Church of Scientology's publishing house Bridge Publications. It is credited to L. Ron Hubbard who died four years earlier, and is largely a compilation of material he wrote in the 1960s. It is one of the canonical texts of Scientology and...
, one of the canonical texts
Religious text
Religious texts, also known as scripture, scriptures, holy writ, or holy books, are the texts which various religious traditions consider to be sacred, or of central importance to their religious tradition...
of Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
. Known as the "Purification rundown" or "Purif", it is promoted through various groups affiliated with the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
. It claims to flush poisons from the body's fat stores using exercise, saunas, and high doses of vitamins, particularly niacin
Niacin
"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
. Many medical experts have judged it to be unproven, ineffective and/or potentially dangerous. A report for the Department of Health
California Health and Human Services Agency
The California Health and Human Services Agency is the state agency tasked with administration and oversight of "state and federal programs for health care, social services, public assistance and rehabilitation" in the U.S. state of California. The agency is headed by the Secretary of the...
in California described the mega-doses of vitamins as "hazardous" and "in some cases lethal". Scientology's own literature reports dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
, electrolyte disturbances including hyponatremia
Hyponatremia
Hyponatremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which the sodium concentration in the serum is lower than normal. In the vast majority of cases, hyponatremia occurs as a result of excess body water diluting the serum sodium and is not due to sodium deficiency. Sodium is the dominant extracellular...
(low sodium level) and hypokalemia
Hypokalemia
Hypokalemia or hypokalaemia , also hypopotassemia or hypopotassaemia , refers to the condition in which the concentration of potassium in the blood is low...
(low potassium level), and heat-related illnesses
Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
as being frequent side-effects of the program. Testimonials from participants credit it with improvements in physical and mental health, but several families blame the Rundown for the death of a relative.
The project's clients were required to attend this programme three hours each day, for between twenty-one and forty days. This was promoted as a way to treat memory loss, respiration problems
Respiratory disease
Respiratory disease is a medical term that encompasses pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange possible in higher organisms, and includes conditions of the upper respiratory tract, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleura and pleural cavity, and the...
, fatigue and other problems suffered by the Ground Zero workers.
Finances and organization
From 2003 to 2007, Downtown Medical received US$900,000 in public funding, including $630,000 from the City of New YorkNew York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
. The project also received private funding, the biggest supporter being Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
. Other celebrity donors included Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
, Leah Remini
Leah Remini
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured...
. By late 2004, these donations amounted to $2.3 million. The detoxification program has been offered for free to rescue workers, and also offered to other New York City residents, some of whom paid $5,000.
According to tax filings, the project pays on some of its money to two bodies, related to the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
, that promote the Purification Rundown. These are the Association for Better Living and Education
Association for Better Living and Education
The Association for Better Living and Education is a non-profit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It states that it is "dedicated to creating a better future for children and communities." It promotes secular uses of L. Ron Hubbard's works, and has been classified as a...
(ABLE), which receives 5% of all contributions, and the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE). The Executive Director of the Church of Scientology was involved in creating the Foundation and later described it as a "front group". In one year, $173,300 of Downtown Medical's income went to Dr. Steven Lager, a Scientologist. , the director of the project was Jim Woodworth, a former drug addict who credits his recovery to the Purification Rundown
Purification Rundown
The Purification Rundown, also known as the Purif or the Hubbard Method, is a controversial detoxification program developed by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard and used by the Church of Scientology as an introductory service. Scientologists consider it the only effective way to deal with the...
. He was formerly the executive director of HealthMed, a Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
group which promotes Hubbard's approach to detoxification.
Endorsements and criticism
The project had a mixed response from public officials. Margarita LópezMargarita Lopez
Margarita López is an openly lesbian former New York City Council Member who represented New York City Council's 2nd district from 1998 to 2005. The 2nd district comprises the Lower East Side, Alphabet City, and the East Village. López was elected to the Council in 1997. Born in Puerto Rico, she...
, a former member of New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
, endorsed the programme and helped it to win public funding. Subsequently she received nearly $115,000 in campaign contributions from Scientologists. Another councillor, Joseph Patrick Addabbo
Joseph Patrick Addabbo
Joseph Patrick Addabbo was a New York City politician who served as a Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from 1961 to 1986...
also supported the project, telling reporters, "The project seems to work. I've seen it firsthand." Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
spoke out against Addabbo and López for their connections with the program, saying that Scientology is "not science, and we should only fund those programs that reputable scientists believe will stand the light of day."
Another supportive member of the City Council was Hiram Monserrate
Hiram Monserrate
Hiram Monserrate is a former member of the New York State Senate. He represented the 13th District which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Woodside...
. Monserrate went through the program himself, and drafted official proclamations honoring both Tom Cruise and L. Ron Hubbard. Describing himself as a Christian, he distanced himself from Scientology but said he believes in the Purification Rundown. Another councillor (and chair of the Public Safety Committee), Peter Vallone, Jr.
Peter Vallone, Jr.
Peter F. Vallone Jr. is a member of the New York City Council representing the 22nd District, encompassing Astoria, Queens and the surrounding communities since 2002, succeeding his father, Peter Vallone, Sr....
vocally criticized the detoxification project and argued that public money should not be spent on it. He accused Monserrate of crossing the line between "cult and state".
The project's publicity included favorable quotations from Senator Charles Schumer and from Michael Balboni
Michael Balboni
Michael Balboni was the Deputy Secretary for Public Safety for the State of New York, who was the senior homeland security and law enforcement official in New York Governor David Paterson's administration...
, New York's deputy secretary for Public Security, though Schumer later withdrew his support and Balboni denied ever making the statement. Council speaker Christine C. Quinn
Christine C. Quinn
Christine Callaghan Quinn is a Democratic politician and the current Speaker of the New York City Council. The third person to hold this office, Quinn is the first female and first openly gay speaker....
denounced the program as meritless. U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney
Carolyn B. Maloney
Carolyn Bosher Maloney is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, popularly known as the "silk stocking district", includes most of Manhattan's East Side; Astoria and Long Island City in Queens; and Roosevelt Island.-Early life,...
wrote a letter supporting the project. Dr. Bob Hoffman of the New York City Poison Control Center
Poison control center
A poison control center is a medical facility that is able to provide immediate, free, and expert treatment advice and assistance over the telephone in case of exposure to poisonous or hazardous substances...
warned that the Purification Rundown is potentially dangerous, calling it "hocus pocus". Mayor Doreen Ehrbar of Williston Park took part in the opening ceremony for the Long Island clinic.
Neither the police
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
nor the fire department
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
officially supported the project. The Uniformed Firefighters Association
Uniformed Firefighters Association
The Uniformed Firefighters Association is the main union of firefighters in the Fire Department of New York .Its president is Stephen J. Cassidy, a vocal critic of mayor Rudy Giuliani's decisions during the Rescue and recovery effort after the September 11, 2001 attacks.The union has made several...
initially supported it but withdrew when the connection to the Church of Scientology was revealed. Firefighter union president Patrick Bahnken said his members' lives had benefited from the program and that it had involved no religious rhetoric. Deputy Fire Commissioner Frank Gribbon of the FDNY told the New York Times, "while we are aware some members of the department have availed themselves of the program, we in no way endorse it". Officials at the department raised concerns that firefighters were giving up existing medications in order to take part. The department's deputy chief medical officer Dr. David Prezant said, "It's not our job to say you can't go. All we can do is say there's no proven evidence it works."
Actress and radio show host Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
drew criticism by allowing Scientologist Leah Remini
Leah Remini
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
to promote the project on her Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
show.
Outcomes
It was reported in October 2007 that 838 people had completed the program. The clinic displayed towels with colored stains, as evidence that toxic material had been sweated out in the saunas. According to its Director, Jim Woodworth, during the Purification Rundown firefighters had passed odd-colored bowel movements and sweated out mercuryMercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
and magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
. The Fire Department's chief medical officer, Dr. Kerry Kelly, criticized the lack of objective evidence, saying, "I have trouble believing in these purple-stained towels."
An investigation by the New York Press
New York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
asked a number of independent doctors about the evidence for the Purification Rundown. None of them endorsed the program's effectiveness and some explicitly described it as dangerous. Several said that no peer-reviewed research
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
on the rundown had been published in any medical journal. Some apparently supportive studies have been published, but these lack control groups
Scientific control
Scientific control allows for comparisons of concepts. It is a part of the scientific method. Scientific control is often used in discussion of natural experiments. For instance, during drug testing, scientists will try to control two groups to keep them as identical and normal as possible, then...
and have other scientific failings. According to Deputy Fire Commissioner Frank Gribbon, doctors investigating the program on behalf of the Fire Department concluded that it was not detoxifying. University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
bioterrorism expert Cham Dallas also denied that the procedure could detoxify, saying "It sounds great and they mean well, but it just doesn't work."
In 2007, James Dahlgren and colleagues published a small-sample pilot study assessing the project. Dahlgren is a doctor who promotes the Purification Rundown as a method of detoxification. The study claimed to find evidence both of elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans
Polychlorinated dibenzofurans
Polychlorinated dibenzofurans are a group of halogenated organic compounds which are toxic environmental pollutants. They are known teratogens, mutagens, and suspected human carcinogens. PCDFs tend to co-occur with polychlorinated dibenzodioxins...
(PCDFs) in the rescue workers and improvement during the regime. Two scientists from Cambridge Environmental, Inc. published a thorough critique of the study. They questioned the premise that WTC rescue workers needed detoxification, citing studies that had found that their blood concentration of toxins was no greater than normal.
The paper argues that the project never properly tested its outcomes and concludes that application of the "potentially dangerous" Purification Rundown to the health problems of 9/11 workers is "unconscionable".
Many of the participants spoke favorably of the program and reported improved physical and mental health. Others said they were just taking advantage of the free saunas. One Fire Department lieutenant was quoted describing colleagues as desperate for help with the distress they felt in the aftermath of the attacks, to the point that they would try anything. Fire Department officials raised concerns about the project, saying that firefighters were being required to give up inhalers, pills and other orthodox medication. Two weeks into the program, one firefighter passed out and was taken to an emergency room with severe asthma, later saying that he had been asked to stop using his inhaler. According to the clinic's associate medical director, Dr. Kawabena Nyamekye, participants were being helped off medication at their own insistence, not at the request of Downtown Medical. A former worker at Downtown Medical told reporters that staff were discouraged from calling for an ambulance even in an emergency, and that one of them had been required to break off contact with her boyfriend because he had left Scientology. A spokesman responded that the clinic had "a clear policy of calling 911 when needed."
See also
- All About RadiationAll About RadiationAll About Radiation is one of the books by L. Ron Hubbard that form the canonical texts of Scientology. Its first printing was from HASI by way of the Speedwell Printing Company, Kent, England, 1957. Later editions were published by the Church of Scientology's in-house publisher Bridge Publications...
- DianazeneDianazeneDianazene was the name given by L. Ron Hubbard to a vitamin supplement containing iron, Vitamin C, and various B vitamins, including especially large doses of niacin. Hubbard promoted it as a form of protection against radiation poisoning during the 1950s, saying that "Dianazene runs out radiation...
- NarcononNarcononNarconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
- Second Chance ProgramSecond Chance ProgramThe Second Chance Program is a controversial detoxification and rehabilitation program based on the ideas of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. It focuses on individuals convicted of substance abuse offenses. The program utilizes a combination of saunas, vitamins, minerals...