Nitpickers | Controversy | Essential Oils | Malathion (OVIDE)

Nitpickers:

Controversy:

Persistent Head Lice Infestations -- The Palm Beach County Head Lice Task Force in conjunction with the Florida Atlantic University School of Nursing has developed a working definition for persistent head lice infestations: Persistent head lice is defined as three incidents of live lice found over a six week period. This definition does not distinguish among product failure, reinfestation, or failure to treat properly as a cause.

Overuse of Chemicals -- Shirley Countryman Gorden, RN, Ph.D writes that for "families experiencing persistent head lice infestations, serious concerns about the indiscriminate use of head lice treatment products arise." See her informative article entitled "Factors Contributing to the Overuse of Chemical Pesticides in Children with Persistent Head Lice", Journal of School Nursing, December 99.

Ms. Gorden also states that " To combat indiscriminate product use, Pray (1997) has issued a call to Pharmacists to voluntarily keep head lice products behind the counter. This forces consumers to ask for assistance and gives pharmacists an opportunity to educate consumers about head lice products."

Harvard Conference -- Judy Robinson, Executive Director of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) reported in a NASN Newsletter that a panel consisting of the Centers For Disease Prevention, The Los Angeles County Department of Health, The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, American Pharmaceuticals Association, National Association of City & County Health Officials, University of Miami School of Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health met to discuss head lice, treatment failures and the growing evidence of pediculicide resistance. The conference was reportedly sponsored by Medicis, the makers of Ovide (Malathion).

One of the goals of the conference is to develop new guidelines for the treatment of head lice in the home, at school and within the community. Other conference topics included the rerelease of Malathion as a head lice treatment option, and the effect of no-nit policies on the loss of school time .

Absent from this conference was the National Pediculosis Association which supports the current no-nit policy and advocates nitpicking and combing for the treatment of head lice.

Lice Wars -- Warner Lambert, The National Pediculosis Association and The Harvard School of Public Health are embroiled in a dispute over a Harvard study funded by the NPA. Harvard claims that the NPA prematurely released the results of the study which suggested that lice had developed resistance to permethrin creme (active ingredient in Nix). According to Harvard the premature release was a "terrible mistake" because the study should have been released through a medical journal with data interpretation by the authors of the study. The NPA insists this study was supposed to be an independent study funded solely by the NPA and claim Harvard used other funding sources including Warner Lambert, the makers of Nix which contains permethrin. To complicate matters further, Warner Lambert claims that the NPA released the data to boost sales of its nit comb, and the NPA says Warner Lambert wanted the study left unfinished so as not to intefere with sales of Nix.

Lindane in Sewers -- The Districts of Los Angeles are working to reduce the amount of Lindane in their sewers. Lindane is the active ingredient in Kwell, a prescription head lice and scabies treatment. Rinsed from the head, Lindane travels into sewers where it causes environmental damage. According to their web page (see our Links page) - "A single treatment of head lice or scabies with Lindane pollutes 6 million gallons of water."

Lindane is a powerful neurotoxin with potentially serious side effects including seizures and even death. Eight countries have banned Lindane and it's use has been banned in California for treatment of pests on animals.

Medical professionals who still prescribe Lindane for resistant strains of head lice may wish to suggest that patients try a non-toxic, smothering program instead.

Oklahoma - El Reno Public Schools -- Dr. Jan Borelli, Superintendent of the El Reno Public Schools, wrote to say that the Head Lice to Dead Lice olive oil based treatment program has helped to radically improve school attendence in their district.