Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP

Name:

Address:

Date:

Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP

Prime Minister of Australia

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister,

Re Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Prior to the election, the Office of Chemical Safety had undertaken a review of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) which is a new and emerging disease. MCS was first noticed and described by occupational physicians in the USA around 1979 (Hileman,B. 1991). Individuals are being poisoned by current levels of environmental pollution and/or products they have purchased which can result in a debilitating disease for which there is no recognition, treatment and little other assistance. There are in excess of 100,000 man made chemicals in the chemical soup in which we live and most chemicals do not have adequate toxicology data to prove safe use. There also is no public education program to alert consumers that the products they purchase may be harmful to their health. Around 25% of the adult population was found be sensitive to chemicals in the NSW Adult Health Survey, 2002. Only a small percentage was medically diagnosed as doctors are not trained to diagnose and treat MCS.

Individuals with MCS are unable to obtain health and allied care and lack access to public buildings, public housing, nursing homes and other supported accommodation, HACC services, schools, public housing, dental services etc. MCS needs to be recognised as a disease and issues related to lack of access addressed. Lack of doctor training creates difficulty when medical reports are required for e.g. Sickness Benefit/Disability Pension; Disability Parking Permits, Workcover, public housing access etc.

Currently the Office of Chemical Safety MCS Clinical Review is stalled, because of one clinician at a consensus conference in Sydney who represents a conflict of interest. Little effort was put into consultation with the community, and this is important as most doctors are not trained to diagnose and treat MCS and therefore are not qualified to make decisions for us. They are slow to accept new diseases and resistant to change. Some medical practitioners have bothered to upgrade their skills, but unfortunately these are in private practice and those on low incomes lack access to them.

As I am severely disadvantaged by lack of service provision, I am asking that you take some action to address the following issues:

·  Better regulation of chemicals in Australia that includes addressing the lack of toxicology studies and mixtures of chemicals; implementation of ‘green chemistry’ i.e. less toxic chemicals;

·  A public education campaign to alert the general public that the products and chemicals they use may be causing health problems;

·  Ensure that the Office of Chemical Safety MCS Clinical Review is completed and all issues of access for MCS sufferers are addressed so that they can obtain necessary services and care;

·  Remove the clinician from the MCS Clinical Review Process who represents a conflict of interest;

·  Ensure the community has equal consultation and input to the MCS Clinical Review as clinicians;

·  Ensure that the MCS Clinical Review is an ethical, open and transparent process;

In the absence of access to health and other services, will you give an undertaking that individuals with MCS receive relief by way of an increase in income to allow them to adequately deal with their adverse circumstances? As a compassionate gesture, this needs to happen as a priority.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future,

Yours sincerely

Signed:

Ref. Hileman, B. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Chemical & Engineering News. 69(20):26-42, Special Report. American Chemical Society.