To the Editor:
The American public is being
grossly misled by Dr. Stephen Barrett. While he positions himself as a
protector of the public, his statements are, in reality, so one-sided that
he simply cannot be taken seriously.
Many years ago when Dr.
Barrett was a member of the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud,
the New Zealand Royal Commission stated that, "Nothing he has written…can
be relied on as balanced." The commission further asserted that, "It is
clear that the enthusiasm of the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health
Fraud is greater than its respect for accuracy…We are not prepared to
place any reliance on material emanating from the Leigh Valley Committee."
Since that time, Dr. Barrett has become even more set in his narrow-minded
ways.
Perhaps he would be more effective in assisting health care
consumers if he would direct his attention away from lambasting many
scientifically-proven alternative and complementary health care methods
and toward alerting them about the dangers of the indiscriminate use of
many traditional medical treatments. Dr. Barrett's own profession has
recognized that more than 100,000 people die each year in hospitals from
medical mistakes, and that approximately 100,000 more die annually from
the side effects of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
The
American Chiropractic Association (ACA) strongly condemns any health care
provider who touts fraudulent cures that endanger the public health or
seriously misleads consumers. However, we also condemn intentionally
steering unwitting health care consumers away from proven, effective
alternative and complementary health care methods - for no other reason
than that they are outside of Dr. Barrett's "old school" comfort zone.
No health care profession has all the answers, but by working
together, we can provide patients with the best care possible - whether it
is traditional, alternative, or a combination of both.
Sincerely,
James A. Mertz, DC, DACBR
President
American Chiropractic
Association
