Doublespeak From The New FDA Chief
A recent New York Times Magazine interview with the new FDA chief, Dr. Andrew C. Von Eschenbach, reveals an apparent challenge in clearly expressing his opinion. Here are two Q & A examples that target important health issues:
Q: You are a former director of the National Cancer Institute. Do you think nicotine should be regulated as a drug?
A: As cancer doctors, we have looked at the consequences of tobacco, of which nicotine is one component, but in which there are many other components.
Q: In addition to drug safety, you oversee food safety. Might you consider a national initiative similar to the trans-fat ban conceived by Mayor Bloomberg in New York City? Fast-food chains, of course are the biggest trans-fat users.
A: What I’ve seen is a significant effort on their part to find alternatives to trans fats.
Say what?
On the other hand, he concludes with a stunning and positive comment, after discussing his target date of 2015 to “help eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer”:
Q: Some oncologists say that your plan falsely elevates the hopes of patients.
A: Then I would ask them why they got into medicine in the first place…
Well it certainly wasn’t so they would have the privilege of dealing with the likes of you, Sir.
