Tom Cruise using Scientology to "detoxify" 9/11 rescue workers

[Bluebear]

Scientology superstar Tom Cruise is scheduled to host a gala in NYC promoting his controversial "detox" project for 9/11 workers, which is based on the tenets of Scientology. According to the New York Post, tickets for the April 19 fund-raiser benefit the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, and run as high as $100,000 for a table for eight.

At its downtown Manhattan clinic, which was co-founded by Cruise, the program offers free Scientology-inspired treatments to firefighters, cops and other rescue workers exposed to high levels of toxins at Ground Zero. The regimen includes high doses of niacin to release fatty acids into the bloodstream, ingesting cold-pressed oil and sweating off "toxins" in a sauna set at 140 to 180 degrees for 21/2 to five hours a day, with frequent showers.

“Patients have had black paste coming out of their pores in the sauna,” Jim Woodworth, president of New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, says on the organization's Web site. “Their sweat has stained towels purple, blue, orange, yellow and black. They have reported bowel movements that are blue, or green, or that have smelled like smoke -- despite the fact that they had not been at a fire scene for months.”...

"This is just hocus-pocus," Dr. Bob Hoffman of the New York City Poison Control Center told The Post in 2004. "For some people, sitting in a hot environment can be very dangerous."

http://www.usmagazine.com/cruise_using_scientology_to_help_9_11_workers

[Ignacio Upton]

1. Might as well get help from someone selling snake oil

n/t.

[SammyWinstonJack]

25. Isn't that what Cruise is selling? nt

[Ignacio Upton]

28. Touche!

n/t.

[youngdem]

2. Tom Cruise has lost his fucking mind n/t

[ClintonTyree]

5. I'm of that opinion myself....

I started to read about scientology out of curiosity. I couldn't get too far, it's so outrageous you'd HAVE to be nuts to believe in it. :silly:

[bcoylepa]

3. whatever works

let's face it - these folks were poisoned on 9/11
my brother was recently medically retired from NYFD due to devastating 9/11 illness
I talked to him about this - he knows guys who did it and it worked well for them - life saving? not sure - feel better - yes
they have been offering this for a long time now
its an intense cleanse ( been used effectively for drug addicts) and its free for the responders
maybe we shouldn't diss it before we know more about it

as for me - I think I might try something like this first before going on steroid therapy or other drugs longterm that may be much more damaging to the body
the quote from guy from the poison control made me laugh - "sitting in a hot environment can be very dangerous"- what does he think happened to these guys on 9/11???
many of these folks are really sick now and searching for answers for chronic and life altering illnesses - my 2 cents

[kimmerspixelated]

4. Exactly!

I couldn't agree more. I get really sick of those who think all alternative methods are snake oil! We live in a poisoned environment. Whatever we can do to detox is a good thing!

[Bluebear]

11. Why does 5 hours in a sauna with a niacin pill take so much $$$$$$?

That Cruise has to have $100,000 for table of eight fundraisers? And how much of this money does to his church and not for the treatment? Sorry, it smells fishy to me.

[Colobo]

15. Scientology itself is poison

[rasputin1952]

6. Essentially, I'm all for it if it makes them feel better, but as soon as I

see Scientology and money involved, I think I have the right to feel a little leery. If someone wants to put up their cash for this, fine by me; I'd feed a lot of kids for $12,000 before I'd shell out for this. But that's just me...:)

[alarimer]

8. There is no evidence at all that it works

All "alternative" medicine is the same way- sheer quackery.
No scientific evidence (by that I mean controlled studies with appropriate statistical controls) that it works. Just utter bullshit by snake oil salesman

[BearSquirrel2]

22. Placebo ...

I talked to him about this - he knows guys who did it and it worked well for them - life saving? not sure - feel better - yes

It's called the Placebo effect. You tell someone they should feel better and they do. Same thing goes for accupuncture, aromatherapy, Chiropracty, Quigong, Crystal Therapy, prayer therapy and other like minded bullshit.

Medicine implies that you have a testable disease theory and controlled studies on the efficacy and safety of your treatments.

[ComerPerro]

7. sure, its bogus, hocus-pocus and won't solve anything. But how is it any different from prayer?

[htuttle]

9. It's more expensive

:shrug:

[ComerPerro]

14. well, all religions pass the plate. And they want 10% of your income.

[Rex]

10. Why not.

nt

[Bluebear]

13. see my #11

I don't automatically doubt alternative cures, but fail to see why a sauna, niacin pills and olive oil cost so much :) Methinks a bunch of this dough is going to the church, not the treatment.

[BearSquirrel2]

23. You SHOULD

You SHOULD doubt alternative cures automatically. You should doubt ANY cure automatically until it has undergone the rigors of a controlled study.

[jmowreader]

26. This takes more than one time in the sauna...

and there are a LOT of first responders.

Maybe this works, maybe it doesn't, but at least SOMEONE is doing SOMETHING and that's a hell of a lot more than our government is doing.

[Bluebear]

27. "Someone doing something" is not laudable if it doesn't work.

Or if it just raises money for a religion. Just sayin'.

[Rex]

29. If someone wants to stick pine-cones down their pants and sing

Oona Panoona, then knock yourself out! Why comes to mind, then why not is the second thing that comes to mind.

Wait til they find out that John is a secret agent of Xenu! It will be the Tom vs John wars!

[Cetacea]

12. I like Tom Cuise, and he was partially right

about the drugging of Amerika.

he's done a lot more for the 9/11 survivors than most elected officials and he starred in one of the best anti-war movies ever made, "Born on the Fourth of July".
He's a great actor who can carry mediocre movies like other great actors.
Oh, and he is a democrat.

[BearSquirrel2]

24. He's a great actor ...

He's a great actor, ... and he's a screwball wackjob. Quacking money out of 9/11 survivors is not "helping" them.

[Beaverhausen]

16. At least he is trying to help them.

Good for you, Tom.

[Bluebear]

17. 'some experts questioned the program's effectiveness and warned it posed serious potential hazards.'

Is he helping them if it hurts them further? If they are having pulmonary issues should they be sitting saunas for five hours? just asking.

[Beaverhausen]

19. "some experts question global warming" too

and I'm guessing these 'experts' profit from the program currently in use.

[Bluebear]

21. Okie dokie. nt

[Swamp Rat]

18. Scientology and Scientologists are hazzadous to my health.

When I evacuated New Orleans to flee Katrina, I found myself standing in a Red Cross line in Memphis for hours and hours and hours. Unfortunately, the volunteer workers who 'helped' me were Scientologists - they denied me any aid because I "came with someone else to the aid station." I left the Red Cross with an apple, a tuna sandwich, and a bottle of water, wearing flip flops a t-shirt and gym shorts. I discovered later that if I had joined Scientology I would have received aid - the Scientology complex was just across the street from where the Red Cross set up shop, and was mostly manned by Scientologists.

If you see a Scientologist on the street, PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE for me. :)

[Bluebear]

20. Why do so many "faith based" aid programs come with conditions?

What a horrible story, Swampy. You would think that any religious organization would offer help and say, by the way, we are ______, when the crisis is over we invite you to talk to us to learn more about us but for now, here is the help you need. But noooooooooooooo.