LETTER OF THE WEEK - Gramoxone is highly poisonous
published: Thursday | March 30, 2006

I MAKE REFERENCE to your interesting article in March 23 issue of The Gleaner regarding pesticides. I have a sad story to tell. A couple of months ago, we were out for a walk with our beautiful and highly-talented Japanese Akita dog. He was trotting along behind us and at one point stopped to, what we thought was, sniff something. Not more than a minute later he started to collapse and within the hour he was DEAD! Making enquiries with police etc., we discovered that numerous stray dogs have been poisoned in that area; it is alleged, by Gramoxone. Apparently, goat farmers are indiscriminately putting Gramoxone in chicken back and dropping it in the areas where the goats roam, which I might add, is public land. When I researched Gramoxone, I discovered that Paraquat is the main ingredient, which is highly poisonous. Because Paraquat is highly poisonous, the form that is marketed in the United States has a blue dye to keep it from being confused with beverages, a sharp odour to serve as a warning, and an added agent to cause vomiting.

On checking, Gramoxone available in Jamaica is odourless, tasteless, and colourless. We also stopped in at a small shop that sells it and the clerk was not aware of just how poisonous it is. At another shop, we were told that people buy it to commit suicide. Since this pesticide is highly dangerous, would it be possible for the local authorities to have it marketed the same as in the United States? Also, the public should be alerted just how dangerous this pesticide is if used indiscriminately.

Sincerely,

Margaret McNair