Published in The Frederick News Post, Sunday, 5 December 2004, in the OP ED section.

The public better wake up before it gets too late. Your front page story (19 Nov. 2004) on “When medicines ATTACK” brings to the surface some things many of us have known for many years now – the dangers of many prescription drugs.

For many years I was a Branch Chief in the Division Of Biologic Standards of the National Institutes of Health. Although we did some research, our main function was to regulate biologic agents being sold to the public. We regulated the Blood Banks and biologic agents such as vaccines. My specific charge was to oversee the manufacture and release to the public influenza vaccine. Before I assumed the control position, what was allowed to happen in the manufacture of this vaccine would literally curdle your blood. Within a period of only less than a year we were able to completely revamp the process of insuring the public would get potent and safe vaccines.

At that time, there were 7 influenza vaccine manufacturers in the United States . Now there is only one, and we now have to rely upon foreign manufacturers. Eventually our Division became the Bureau of Biologics at the FDA. But the influenza vaccine problem which existed then and today I will leave for another day.

The problem described in your front page article described above brings to the surface a very serious problem of the public being poisoned with prescription drugs. Recently I gave a free lecture on the “Dangers Of The Statin Drugs” of which Crestor (mentioned in the article) is one. Some 90 plus attended the lecture. Pity that only 4 eventually decided to do something about it.

All I have to say is: “Go on , continue to kill yourself with these medicines.” The drug company ads on TV are very catchy, especially the one on Crestor. But the sad reality is frightening. There are better ways to lower one's cholesterol and blood pressure without resorting to these dangerous drugs. Statin drugs especially do so much damage that eventually one sets themselves up to developing serious heart failure in the long term. And, do not let your doctor tell you any differently. Take it upon yourself to read the side effects of these drugs, and perhaps this will change your mind.

It is my opinion that Christopher Reeve died as a result of taking statin drugs. And he and his family is spending so much time touting the potential benefits of stem cell research not realizing that his potential demise was from something much different. Before stem cell research ever develops a breakthrough to cure spinal cord injuries, we, our grandchildren, and our great, great grandchildren will be dead. Reeve died from something much closer than this -- statin drug poisoning!

And please do not wait for the FDA to change their minds. Once they have approved a drug for release, they almost never change their minds. Perhaps with this most recent scandal and shakeup, things at the FDA will change.

nicola michael c. Tauraso, M.D.

Frederick , MD 21702

301-662-6726

www.drtauraso.com