Hazardous to our health

Federal regulators investigating 19 deaths linked to the blood thinner heparin have traced the cause to China, which is sadly not a surprise considering China’s dismal safety record.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that the batches of heparin that sent people into allergic reactions contained a compound similar to heparin called oversulfated condroitin sulfate. The compound, which does not occur naturally, has not been widely studied and FDA officials said they are not sure whether the compound was the cause of the problem. They did note that it was the only contaminant found in the suspect vials of heparin, adding that it is cheaper to make the compound than to use heparin.

China is the leading producer of heparin. Other problems with the drug have been reported in Germany, where 80 illnesses have been linked to heparin from China. German officials have yet to determine the cause of the problem.

Over the past few years there has been a frightening string of incidents of dangerous goods being sent from China. What is more frightening is that the dangerous goods are being discovered only because of injuries and deaths.

The federal agencies that are responsible for inspecting imported goods lack an adequate number of inspectors and enough equipment to do the job. For years the Bush administration has cut agency budgets, despite their importance to public safety.

Some of the results are toys coated in lead paint making it into children’s hands, toxic food in our pets’ bowls and now tainted medicine in our hospitals.

This is beyond outrageous and a further sign that the federal government has failed to do its job to protect the American people. At what point will the Bush administration wake up and see that 19 deaths linked to a drug is a serious problem?

Chinese products have become a public safety issue, and the federal government must do all it can to adequately inspect products so Americans can feel safe.