Regarding “Ban Toxic Paint Strippers, Says Mother of Man Killed by Them” (May 23): Paracelsus the father of modern toxicology, said, “All things are poison; there is none that is not. It is the dose that differentiates the poison from the cure.”

Shakespeare tells us: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

The fault is not with chemicals (methylene chloride); it is in ourselves. Chemicals, especially volatile solvents which can be easily inhaled and result in acute and systemic effects, must be handled and used in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions. Failure to do so can lead to injury and death.

The primary safety rule for using any chemical is adequate ventilation so as not to accrue a toxic dose.

To paraphrase Shakespeare: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the chemicals, but in ourselves.”

ANTHONY GAGLIERD
Baldwin Borough
The writer is a college instructor of natural sciences and engineering.

First Published: May 25, 2018, 4:00 a.m.