Tox on the Web: doomsday scams and more!

Apocalyptic Con Games: An article in The New York Times Magazine by C. J. Chivers sets out to find whether the purportedly extremely toxic and explosive compound “red mercury” actually exists. According to some reports, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) has been trying to acquire samples in order to build a neutron bomb or other doomsday weapon. The author finds that “red mercury” is an urban myth, likely perpetuated by arms merchants in attempts to scam terrorists and other gullible potential customers to pay large amounts of money for a chimera. In the following interview of National Public Radio’s Fresh Air, Terry Gross interviews the author: Marijuana and driving:  This week I attended the American College of Medical Toxicology’s seminar in forensic toxicology that concentrated on the forensic and legal consequences of cannabis use. The seminar was, of course, in Denver. During the week I had the great pleasure of dining with Matt Zuckerman, a medical toxicologist at the Rocky Mountain poison center and producer of the invaluable ToxNow podcast.  In the latest episode, Matt interviews Rebecca Hartman, lead author of a recent study on the effects of cannabis use on lateral control, a skill important for safe driving. To listens to the ToxNow episode, click here. Willie Nelson fights Big Pot: In New York Magazine, Wil S. Hylton describes Willie Nelson’s crusade against the possibility that big business ...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Medical Alcohol driving marijuana opioid toxicity red mercury weapon of mass destruction weed willie nelson Source Type: news