>None of us know anyone who *needed* cigarettes in order to improve their
health.
>
>I know, I know:  the point is that cigarettes and ABM both contribute to
>increased rates of cancer, heart disease and a general level of inadequate
>health.  My point is that there is absolutely no therapeutic use for
>cigarettes, but in certain unusual situations, there is a therapeutic
>application for ABM.  I'm afraid that we do not win people over when we liken
>formula feeding to cigarette smoking;  instead we contribute to the image of
>"zealotry" by equating what most see as innocuous (ABM)  with what everyone
>knows is bad (cigarettes).

When cigarettes first came out they were touted as a remedy for sore
throats.  Cigarettes smokers report becoming more relaxed while smoking.
Cigarettes increase the metabolism and reduce the likelyhood of obesity.
(And no, I am not a smoker but, a child of a smoker.  I get migranes around
cigarette smoke.)  Cigarettes are a method of delivery of the drug nicotine.
Although it is a drug of abuse, like any drug there can be legitimate uses.
Ususally, there are better options than nicotine.

Formula, it can be argued, is also a drug.  IMHO, it can also be abused.
Smoking used to be reccommended by the medical community before we
discovered that it generally did more harm than good.  Formula is much the
same way.  Donated human milk is generally the appropriate substitute for
mother's milk.  Ideally, formula should only be used for infants who have a
metabolic or other condition which prevents them from tolerating human milk.
Much like blood substitutes are used.  While I'm wishing, I'd like every
baby to have access to a unlimited supply of human milk, directly from mom
or donated if needed.  If every baby had access to human milk, most people
would understand the hazards of infant formula.  Like nicotine, there are
some medically indicated uses for formula but, in general, there are much
better options.

Formula today is like cigarettes of 30 years ago.  It is viewed as a
lifestyle choice, not a health issue.  I, personally, like the idea of
comparing formula to cigarettes.  We need to make people aware that formula
is not innocous as the manufacturers would like us to believe.

Boy the air is thin on this soap box.  Next??


Linda Pohl, IBCLC
Phoenix, Arizona USA
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