Josie Ensor at The Times:
Ignoring health authority warnings around the ingesting of chlorine dioxide, alternative health influencers are recommending people drink it with water, spray it on skin and even use it in enemas as a “cure” for everything from measles to cancer, HIV and autism.
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Kennedy, who has built a huge following promoting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, has not explicitly promoted chlorine dioxide as a treatment. But during his Senate confirmation hearing in January, he referred to the chemical substance and praised Trump for “looking at all of the different remedies” for Covid, “including even chlorine dioxide”.
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In recent months, interest has exploded among social media groups such as those called “Chlorine Dioxide” and “Secret Mineral”, some of which have added thousands of new followers on Facebook from the US, UK and across the world.
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In May, the movement was given its first mainstream boost when [Andreas] Kalcker was invited to a “Truth Seekers” conference at the Trump National Doral hotel in Miami, a two-day event featuring anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists.
Though the conference was a closed event, The Times found video and photographs posted on the social media accounts of attendees. A number of products appeared to be on sale to ticket-holders, including chlorine dioxide-based nasal sprays sold by Michelle Herman.
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The American Association of Poison Control Centers recorded more than 16,000 cases of chlorine dioxide poisoning, including 2,500 cases of children under 12, in 2020, the last year it published figures on the trend. Many of those individuals suffered serious side-effects, the group noted, including a six-year-old autistic girl who required hospital treatment for liver failure.
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Emma Dalmayne, an autism campaigner who has several autistic children and was diagnosed herself, said giving any legitimacy to bleach cures was dangerous. “It’s one thing if a consenting adult decides to take this, but we are seeing children held down and given enemas,” she told The Times. “Sometimes drops are put into their babies’ bottles.”
Dalmayne said her advocacy has attracted hate mail, threats and even bullets through the post, believed to be sent by members of the bleacher community trying to “silence” her.
