Hurrah, Bad Science Watch is here!
It is about time Canada had its own team of people dedicated to showing the absolute nuttery that goes on under the guise of homeopathy, riki, acupuncture and the rest of the quackery that goes on up here. Go to their blog, click on there advertising, heck donate to them and help them in their battle against the dishonest woo-peddlers that are infesting our society.
The first bastion of bullshite they are tackling are the so called “nosodes vaccines” which like the rest of the shit and sugar water homeopathic foolishness are unproven snake-oil remedies that can really hurt the people taking them and the people around them. From the BSW website:
Today, the new Canadian science advocacy group Bad Science Watch announced plans to convince Health Canada to de-register homeopathic health products that are offered as unproven replacements for childhood vaccinations. This project will combat the anti-vaccine camps within homeopathy that offer these so-called “nosodes”; the sale of which directly contradicts Health Canada’s own efforts to promote childhood vaccinations.
Nosodes are ultra-dilute homeopathic remedies prepared using diseased tissue, such as blood, pus, and saliva, that are based on the unsupportable “like-cures-like” hypothesis where you give someone a very low dose of the offending substance to then cure or prevent the disease in question.
Homeopaths in Canada are offering these nosodes for a variety of childhood diseases, like pertussis, or whooping cough, a deadly disease that is currently afflicting more Canadian children, mostly infants, than it has in the past 50 years. The anti-vaccine messages spread by homeopaths have caused parents to needlessly question the usefulness and safety of vaccines and as a result the level of vaccination in Canadian communities has dropped to as low as 62%. A level of 80% or higher is needed to have proper protection from pertussis in the community.
62%? Frak me, people. You need to vaccinate with real vaccines not this froopy-doopy shite that doesn’t work. You are hurting yourself and the people around you. BSW is starting large, I hope they can get the ball rolling on defenstrating this quackery ASAP.
8 comments
August 6, 2012 at 8:06 am
writerdood
You know, for a long time I laughed at the concepts promoted by homeopathy. And for a long time I was confused by the whole “water memory” thing. Then a believer in homeopathy explained it to me in depth and at length. And now I’m no longer laughing at it. I’m simply depressed that anyone with an ounce of logic and a college degree could shove everything they know about chemistry out the window to believe in this shit.
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August 6, 2012 at 11:48 am
VR Kaine
“the unsupportable “like-cures-like” hypothesis where you give someone a very low dose of the offending substance to then cure or prevent the disease in question.”
Actually, I think you do get the offending substance, just not enough of it or it not in a state that will make you sick.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/vs-sv/vs-faq01-eng.php
I don’t think alopathic medicine is the be-all, end-all, but thinking sugar water and puss (and prayer) is going to be enough to give a body what it needs to heal is downright crazy and too many charlatans exist in that field unwatched so I look forward to BSW doing some good.
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August 6, 2012 at 11:51 am
VR Kaine
Some great articles here by a guy who’s a director on the BSW board:
http://saveyourself.ca/blog/0405.php
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August 6, 2012 at 12:33 pm
The Arbourist
Actually, I think you do get the offending substance, just not enough of it or it not in a state that will make you sick.
Absolutely Vern, that is correct in the case of vaccinations.
I can only imagine the homeopathic treatment for gunshot wounds – remember like treats like…
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August 6, 2012 at 1:11 pm
The Arbourist
You don’t say. ;)
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August 6, 2012 at 2:06 pm
The Arbourist
Thanks for the link Vern, good reading and a good site. I’ll add it to by blogroll.
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August 6, 2012 at 5:32 pm
VR Kaine
You’re welcome, Arb! Happy to return the favor. :)
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August 6, 2012 at 5:44 pm
VR Kaine
“I can only imagine the homeopathic treatment for gunshot wounds – remember like treats like…”
Haha! I hope it never gets THAT bad!
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