Leading docs say NO to full- body scanners

By WC Douglass M.D

It's not often I'm on the same page as the American Cancer Society -- but their chief medical officer is taking a page out of my book, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Dr. Otis Brawley told CNN he refuses the TSA's radioactive full-body airport scanners because he has "little confidence" in how the machines are calibrated, maintained, and inspected.

And his deputy agrees -- saying he'll do whatever he can to skip the scans.

These are two of the leading mainstream voices on cancer issues -- and they've been wrong more times than I can count, especially on issues like mammograms and cancer treatments.

Heck, they push radiation on cancer patients every single day... but when their own lives are on the line, they change their tune -- and fast.

"This is a total body scan -- not a dental or chest X-ray," Brawley's deputy, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, told CNN. "Total body radiation is not something I find very comforting based on my medical knowledge."

And you know what? He's absolutely right -- because every time you get zapped, your total lifetime exposure levels shoot right up... along with your overall cancer risk.

Eventually, something that's supposed to be a remote and theoretical risk becomes a very real battle for your life... all because the feds decided they needed a picture of your scrotum.

Of course, the only alternative to the full-body scanner is the "freedom fondle" -- a top-to-bottom groping by a TSA worker that'll leave you feeling like a hooker in a gas station bathroom.

And they're not just rubbing their gloved fingers over your privates -- they're even fondling children, as this video on YouTube shows.

Want to know what's really shocking about this footage? This girl's parents didn't refuse the scan. They actually sent her through -- but the feds called the six-year-old girl over for an "extra" screening anyway, giving her the worst of both worlds: radiation AND a fondling.

And as you can see, they didn't miss an inch of this little potential terrorist's body.

It's just plain sick.

Bird brains and radiation risks

Want to see what happens when excess background radiation is a constant part of life?

Just take a look at the birds of Chernobyl, then try to hold onto whatever gray matter you've got left.

Researchers examined 550 birds of 48 different species from inside the region, in areas normally off-limits to people for obvious reasons.

They found that, on average, the birds had brains 5 percent smaller than normal.

That might not sound like a lot, but it is -- smaller brains are linked to dementia and other cognitive problems. And while all our brains shrink a little in our later years, dementia patients see a loss of about 1 percent a year.

Take away 5 percent right off the top, and it won't be long before you've got a birdbrain of your own.

OK, OK, I know -- you're not a bird and you're not moving to Chernobyl, so you're probably thinking I'm the birdbrain for even worrying you over this -- but take a look around you.

You don't need to live in a nuclear kill zone to face radiation levels unheard of just a generation or two back.

Our exposure levels went up when X-rays became a regular part of medicine... then they shot up dramatically when CT scans entered the picture, with each blast slamming you with up to 1,000 times the radiation of a single X-ray. (Read more here.)

Our exposure levels went up when they added X-rays to airports and courthouses... and who knows what risks will accompany the new full-body scanners, because the feds refuse to share their safety data.

But already, we know these things are far more dangerous than they've let on. (Find out more details here.)

Women began getting extra bursts of radiation when the mainstream pushed annual mammograms... and with new 3D mammograms packing double the punch, their exposure is about to shoot up to new highs.

And let's not forget zap-happy dentists.

Add it all up, and you can bet that there are people right here in the United States exposed to more radiation than some of these Chernobyl birds -- and every new "advance" brings even more radiation to the table.

Eventually, we might all be birdbrains.

Your early bird,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

What's wrong with the body scanners?

In short: EVERYTHING!
If you want to catch "terrorists", go and learn from the Israelis and do profiling.



To read about the health hazards of going through the full body scanners or just standing next to them during a shift and be exposed to background radiation, click here.

Are new security screenings affecting your decision to fly?

Take the poll "Are you less likely to fly because of stepped-up security procedures such as full body scans and pat downs?" and see it for yourself. 96% of voters (roughly 75 000 people!) say "They will make alternative travel plans to avoid intrusive security scans and pat downs."

Also read people's comments (303 comments so far).
http://blogs.reuters.com/ask/2010/11/12/are-new-security-screenings-affecting-your-decision-to-fly/?cp=all#comments

Also watch Ron Paul speaking against violating your rights at airports: