Fighting the fear

Terrorism: the systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve some goal.

By the time this issue of Manufacturing Chemist is published, more than six weeks will have passed since the cataclysmic events of 11 September. But although the dust from the ruins of the World Trade Centre may be starting to settle, the repercussions are gathering a juggernaut-like momentum which appears, at least in the short-term, to be unstoppable.

But rather than relying on bombs and bullets, terrorism has taken a sinister turn with the use of biological weapons. Until about a month ago, a large part of the US population would probably not have heard of anthrax, but now there can be few who are unaware of its existence.

Suddenly, throughout the world the discovery of any white powder in an unexpected place is regarded with instant suspicion and has been responsible for the disruption of many aspects of normal daily routine, including postal services and even church services.

The use of anthrax has also had an impact on the pharmaceutical industry. Anxious consumers in the US are buying up all available stocks of Cipro, the antibiotic used to treat the disease, causing pharmacies to sell out and the US government to increase its stockpile of the drug. The Canadian government was even briefly considering overriding Bayer's patent on the drug, even though there has been no evidence of anthrax infection in Canada.

The irony here is that consumers may actually be aiding the terrorists in their aims. Prophylactic use of Cipro on a large scale could give rise to resistance to the drug among a number of other bacteria, such as E. coli, with serious implications for public health.

The pharmaceutical industry is, of course, no stranger to terrorist threats. Over the years those employed by companies involved in animal testing have learned to treat everyday objects, such as letters and parcels, with suspicion and to exercise a degree of caution in their daily routines which would be unthinkable for the rest of us.

At last the goverment is taking some action to protect directors of such companies and their families, but this will be of little help to the office and laboratory workers who are forced to park their cars miles away from their place of work, or who dare not leave their young children alone while they go into a different room.

If any good at all can come out of the events of 11 September, may it be that the world as a whole becomes less tolerant of extreme action in all its forms, regardless of where, how, why and by whom it is carried out.