RE: THE HOAX BEHIND FREEZING PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES RELEASES DIOXINS INTO THE WATER.

Dioxin Doubletalk

RUMOR
Freezing plastic water bottles releases dioxins into water.

STATUS
Busted!

ORIGINS
In this example, multiple e-mail hoaxes have been combined into one, illustrating that an Internet hoax can propagate by means as simple as “cut and paste.” To prolong the life a previously debunked prank, a new introduction was added to an earlier e-mail on dioxins in the microwave. If you compare the two, you can see they are virtually identical.

BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR:

DIOXINS Carcinogens cause cancer. Especially breast cancer. Don't freeze your plastic water bottles with water as this also releases dioxins in the plastic.

Dr. Edward Fujimoto from Castle Hospital was on a TV program explaining this health hazard. He is the manager of the Wellness Program at the hospital. He was talking about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat and plastics releases dioxins into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Dioxins are carcinogens and highly toxic to the cells of our bodies.

Instead, he recommends using glass, Corning Ware, or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results without the dioxins. So such things as TV dinners, weight watchers dinners, lean cuisine dinners, instant ramen cup of noodles, and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. Just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc., He said we might remember when some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

The claim that plastic water bottles will release dioxins when frozen is entirely unfounded. So is the claim that plastic food wraps and containers can release dioxins in the microwave oven.

The vast majority of plastics used in food wraps, packaging containers and beverage bottles do not contain the chemical constituents that form dioxins. In addition, dioxins are a family of compounds that are produced by combustion at high temperatures. They can only be formed during combustion at temperatures typically above 700 degrees Fahrenheit; they cannot be formed at room temperature or in freezing temperatures.

According to FDA, “ With regard to dioxins, we have seen no evidence that plastic containers or films contain dioxins and know of no reason why they would.”

Don’t be fooled by fake IDs. To sound more believable, versions of this rumor falsely identify a health authority, such as Johns Hopkins University or Walter Reed Medical Center, as the source of the misinformation. Some versions even go so far as to include a person’s name and affiliation to give the appearance that a particular individual was the original sender. 

Tip: Always remember to verify the source before you forward an e-mail scare.

MORE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

Plastics and the Microwave
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Consumer Magazine (November-December 2002) 

Plastics in the Microwave 
Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) 

Microwaving Foods and Dioxin Formation 
Christina Stark, M.S., R.D., Cornell Cooperative Extension
(Must be registered member of Cornell Nutrition Works website. Registration is free.) 

More on Plastics in the Microwave 
Christina Stark, M.S., R.D., Cornell Cooperative Extension
(Must be registered member of Cornell Nutrition Works website. Registration is free.) 

Dioxin in Containers 
Joe Schwarcz, Ph.D., Director, McGill University’s Office of Science and Society 

OTHER MYTHBUSTING WEBSITES

BottleRoyale 
Snopes.com

Don’t Use Plastic for Heating Foods in a Microwave Oven Because of Exposure to Dioxins – Unproven! & Fiction! 

TruthOrFiction.com

WHY MIX CODEINE AND ALCOHOL TOGETHER

   

Codeine is a mild narcotic painkiller and antitussive, or cough suppressant, which was once widely available in cough syrups with different brand names. Although it is still available, it is now a prescription-only drug, used to treat moderate or severe pain, and reduce cough in some serious illnesses.

Because codeine is already an opioid drug, it is subject to nonmedical use, diversion, and addiction. People who abuse codeine to get high report various symptoms, including:-

- Nausea, 

-vomiting, 

-constipation 

-Relaxed euphoria 

-Memory loss

-Loss of coordination and motor skills 

-Fatigue or sleepiness

Alcohol use disorder is one of the most serious substance abuse problems in the world. Studies show that millions of people ages 18 and older struggle with alcohol use disorder. 
NOTE: This does not count other forms of  problems associated with drinking, including heavy drinking, which can also cause poisoning, liver damage, and other harm.

People who struggle with alcohol use disorder compulsively consume alcohol, and are unable to control how much they drink, and as a result, experience withdrawal symptoms when they do not consume alcohol. Intoxication from alcohol causes:
- A false sense of relaxation and euphoria 
- Increased sociability 
- Poor decision-making 
- Decreased cognitive ability 
- Memory problems, including blackouts

Slurred speech Blurry vision Loss of motor coordinationReduced reaction timesStomach upset, nausea, and vomiting

Mixing any opioid drug with alcohol is dangerous, although people often mix these drugs. It's common knowledge that alcohol notoriously increases the highs associated with opioids, as they are both central nervous system depressants and create similar relaxed, pleasant highs for a short time. However, mixing opioids and alcohol increases the risk of overdose and long-term health damage. 

Mixing codeine and alcohol is particularly popular with young people. Both alcohol and codeine are central nervous system depressants, and each will enhance the pleasurable effects, and side effects, of the other. While they work in different parts of the brain – codeine binds to opioid receptors while alcohol affects the GABA receptors – both drugs interact with neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine and serotonin.

Both of these neurotransmitters are tied to mood, so when they are more available to the brain, the person feels better and happier. However, once the drugs wear off, the reduction in these neurotransmitters can lead a person to feel depressed; the reward system, fed primarily by dopamine, may cause a person to compulsively seek out the drugs that made them feel good in the first place. This leads to addiction.

The mixture of cough syrup and alcohol originated in Houston, Texas, in the 1990s, especially among performing music artistes. 

While many rap and hip hop artistes still popularize this mixture, DJ Screw in the US, is considered the creator of the concoction. His bass-heavy, slowed-down remixes of hip hop music are closely associated with the relaxed intoxication that comes from drinking codeine syrup mixed with alcohol, also known as purple drank, lean, Texas tea, or sizzurp.

DJ Screw’s influence, both in music and drug form, spread across the US in no time due to his large fan base. The artist himself died from an overdose of the codeine and alcohol mixture in 2000. A few years later, the codeine syrup control regulation changed the scheduling of codeine to make it harder to acquire, but already damage through pop culture had been done. Rappers like Lil Wayne still sing about the drink, which sometimes involves the addition of hard candy and soda to enhance the syrupy flavor. About two decades later, its sad to note that the deadly cocktail continue to be more popular among adolescents and young adults.

There are several serious side effects associated with combining codeine and alcohol. In the best case, a person who consumes these two intoxicating drugs taken together may result in:
Dizziness,
Drowsiness or fatigue,
Headaches,
Mental “fog”,
Trouble concentrating,
Trouble breathing,
Delayed motor skills and reaction time,
Impairment of thinking and judgment,
Memory loss etc

This combination of sedative effects can cause serious accidents, including car accidents and falls. Head injuries, broken bones, and damage to internal organs can all occur due to an accident while intoxicated.

One of the most serious short-term risks from mixing even a small amount of CODEINE WITH ALCOHOL is a dangerous RESPIRATORY DEPRESSANT. This means that a person will take shallower breaths, breathe less often, or breathe irregularly. 

Respiratory depression reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the brain and body, which can cause long-term damage to major organ systems, lead to a coma, or cause death when the brain shuts down.

Taking too much of an opioid (like codeine syrup) alone can cause respiratory depression, but mixing codeine and alcohol greatly increases the risk of this deadly side effect. Some people have accidentally overdosed by taking codeine as prescribed, then consuming a few alcoholic beverages. When a non-opioid drug like alcohol is involved in an opioid overdose, the condition becomes harder to treat.

According to scientific report by DAWN, in 2010, there is an increase in emergency room admissions due to a combination of opioids and alcohol. Combining these drugs led to more serious outcomes, including long-term hospital stays.

LONG-TERM HARM FROM CODEINE AND ALCOHOL

Abusing codeine and alcohol increases the risk of liver and kidney damage. 

ALCOHOL ABUSE by itself is one of the leading causes of liver damage. codeine, when added to alcohol, adds to stress on the liver, which spills over into kidney damage too.

The combination of alcohol and codeine can also cause damage to the gastrointestinal system, increasing the risk of abdominal bloating, inflammation leading to colitis or other conditions, ulcers, indigestion, and malnutrition.

Mixing alcohol and codeine, or any other combination of intoxicating substances, can lead to addiction and dependence. Thankfully, you can get help overcoming addiction and drug abuse before long-term harm occurs. Recovery is possible for anyone.