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Thanks to a half million dollar legislative appropriation, ailing police officers in Utah may finally find out what's causing their illnesses, even killing some of them. The medical study financed through the Utah Labor Commission's Workplace Safety Account is coming none too soon.
As the Eyewitness News has reported several times the past year, an inordinate number of officers who investigated methamphetamine labs during the 80's and 90's are sick, have cancer or have died. At last count, the number of officers afflicted, as documented by investigative reporter Debbie Dujanovic, was 84.
Little was known of the dangers the officers faced during the early days of the meth epidemic. Most often, rubber gloves provided their only protection from exposure to noxious chemicals.
And now, so many of them are suffering horribly.
As KSL has said before, it is essential to get to the bottom of what's debilitating so many of them. It would help them qualify for help from agencies that currently deny health and disability claims for a lack of proof that on-the-job exposure caused their problems. Furthermore, it would likely lead to the development of safer methodologies and standards for the ongoing clean up of meth labs.
KSL along with the ailing officers anxiously awaits the results of the study.
