A Pesticide Cure That Causes The Illness
It's Marketed To Protect Against

A Pesticide Cure That Causes The Illness
It's Marketed To Protect Against

Is the cure worse than the disease or the cause of the disease or both?

Decide for yourself — AllerCareTM Dust Mite Carpet Powder and AllerCareTM Dust Mite Allergen Spray for Carpet and Upholstery, products marketed to kill pests that could trigger allergy attacks and asthma, have been recalled from store shelves as of early last year for causing asthma attacks, among other symptoms.

The products contain the active ingredient benzyl benzoate and are manufactured by SC Johnson and Son, Inc.

The chemical industry is a big promoter of using its products to prevent pest-caused asthma. EPA urged the company to initiate this recall of the pesticide due to an excessive number of incidents reported by consumers who experienced adverse effects from using the product.

Over 400 incidents document severe to minor reactions to the products, including asthma attacks, respiratory problems, burning sensations, and skin irritation.

Allergy and asthma sufferers appear to be most negatively affected by the use of the products, and most reactions occurred within 15-30 minutes of product application.

EPA has also received some reports of reactions in pets.