People can overreact to pollution data

Times Colonist
June 19, 2005

Environmentalists are outraged that news of the contamination of some farmed salmon didn't come from the government sooner. Well, as soon as the public starts acting like adults, the state can start treating them as such.

There is a disproportionate fear of cancer relative to other ailments and people do not make rational economic decisions regarding carcinogens. If the malachite green contamination were made public, panic would have caused economic loss that far exceeds the cost of minutely increased cancer rates. The same phenomenon ensures that mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods would destroy the industry, depriving us of their considerable benefits.

We might find it patronizing, but the government was acting in our best interests by protecting us from this distasteful information.

Jared Warren,

Victoria.