A brief overview of Agent Orange
By Andrea Cantella

Though 30 years have passed since the Vietnam War came to an end, millions of Vietnamese still live with the effects. Three generations have passed and yet the casualties of the war continue to mount. This is largely due to the ongoing effects of the chemical commonly known as Agent Orange.

Agent Orange is an herbicide containing the toxin dioxin, which is extremely harmful to humans and the environment. It was used by the American military between 1961 and 1971 as a defoliant, which was sprayed over the dense jungles to prevent the 'Viet Cong' from taking cover, as well as to prevent them from gathering food.

Dioxin is widely believed to cause many types of cancer, fetus malformations, spina bifida, and skin diseases, as well as causing damage to the immune system, the reproductive system and the nervous system. The America Institute of Medicine has found a relationship between Agent Orange (and other herbicides used during the war) and many types of cancer, including respiratory cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma (bone marrow), Hodgkin's disease, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

It is estimated that between 2.1 and 4.8 million Vietnamese were directly exposed to herbicides during the war. However, the total number of victims is far greater because dioxin can be transmitted through contamination of the food chain including via breast milk, cow milk, and consumption of contaminated meat, fish, and vegetation. Still today, there remain hot spots in Vietnam that have harmful levels of dioxin in the ecosystem

In general it is the poorest in Vietnam, those living in the rural, farming communities and those that are unable to afford treatment, medication, and adaptive equipment that are the most greatly affected.

As the U.S. government currently refuses to assist the victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam, it is up to American citizens to aid in this effort. Please join us at Helping Hands Vietnam in giving this third generation of war victims, the most innocent of all, the opportunity for a better life.