Fructose

A potent herbicide used from 1961 to 1971 in the Vietnam War, Agent Orange was designed to cut
through Vietnam's thick canopy of foliage to reveal enemy troops beneath. While it succeeded,
the price was high: exposure proved deadly to humans, causing cancers, birth defects and a slew
of other disorders. Some 21 million gallons of it were dumped on Vietnam, resulting in hundreds
of thousands of injuries and birth defects to Vietnamese citizens. U.S. veterans faced exposure too;
they received a $180 million settlement from its manufacturers in 1984.
According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed
to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth
defects. The most affected zones are the mountainous area along Truong Son (Long Mountains)
and the border between Vietnam and Cambodia. The affected residents are living in sub-standard
conditions with many genetic diseases.
The use of Agent Orange still has an effect on the citizens of Vietnam, poisoning their food chain
and creating concern about its effect on human beings. This chemical has been reported to cause
serious skin diseases as well as a vast variety of cancers in the lungs, larynx, and prostate. Children
in the areas where Agent Orange was used have been affected and have multiple health problems
including cleft palate, mental disabilities, hernias, and extra fingers and toes.
Presently the Veterans Administration provides compensation and treatment for several diseases
to former military service personnel who were exposed to Agent Orange
176 177