--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It remains an astonishing, disturbing…" description: "\"It remains an astonishing, disturbing fact that in America - a nation where nearly every new drug is subjected to rigorous scrutiny as a potential carc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_america_it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fac_1909240.jpg" --- # It remains an astonishing, disturbing fact that in America… ![“It remains an astonishing, disturbing fact that in America - a nation where nearly every new drug is subjected to rigorous scrutiny as a potential carcinogen, and even the bare hint of a substance's link to cancer ignites a firestorm of public hysteria and media anxiety - one of the most potent…” quote by Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_america_it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fac_1909240.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_america_it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fac_1909240.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_america_it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fac_1909240.jpg) > “It remains an astonishing, disturbing fact that in America - a nation where nearly every new drug is subjected to rigorous scrutiny as a potential carcinogen, and even the bare hint of a substance's link to cancer ignites a firestorm of public hysteria and media anxiety - one of the most potent and common carcinogens known to humans can be freely bought and sold at every corner store for a few dollars.” [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the paradox of strict regulation for many drugs versus lax control of a known carcinogen sold cheaply in stores. **In simple terms:** A dangerous cancer-causing chemical is easily sold despite strict drug checks. Key Takeaway Advocate for stronger regulation of harmful chemicals. Themes public health regulation cancer prevention consumer safety Mood concerned urgent critical Type warning informational When to use this quote - grocery shopping - policy advocacy - public awareness campaigns - legislative hearings Key Concepts toxicology policy disparity risk communication Questions to Reflect On - How can society balance safety with market freedom? - What policies could close this regulatory gap? A Different Perspective Regulation may be hindered by industry lobbying and economic interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Hysteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hysteria/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Scrutiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scrutiny/) ## Related quotes > [“The landscape of carcinogens is not static either. We are chemical apes: having discovered the capacity to extract, purify, and react molecules to produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/the-landscape-of-carcinogens-is-not-static-either-we-are-chemical/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [About a quarter of lung cancer cases occur in people who have never smoked. One cause may be another potential carcinogen: fumes from frying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/about-a-quarter-of-lung-cancer-cases-occur-in-people-who-have-never/) [Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/) > [And of course the Green Party wants to remove carcinogens from our food, our cosmetics, our backyard pesticides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/and-of-course-the-green-party-wants-to-remove-carcinogens-from-our/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [We can change our thinking. Rather than viewing the chemical adulteration of our environment and our bodies as the inevitable practice of convenience and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/we-can-change-our-thinking-rather-than-viewing-the-chemical/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [American consumers have no problem with carcinogens, but they will not purchase any product, including floor wax, that has fat in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/american-consumers-have-no-problem-with-carcinogens-but-they-will-not/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Almost all the world is natural chemicals, so it really makes you re-think everything. A cup of coffee is filled with chemicals. They've identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-ames/almost-all-the-world-is-natural-chemicals-so-it-really-makes-you-re/) [Bruce Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-ames/) > [Protein during promotion trumps the carcinogen, regardless of initial exposure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/protein-during-promotion-trumps-the-carcinogen-regardless-of-initial/) [T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/) > [Cellphone and other wireless radiation should be classified as a "probable human carcinogen."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devra-davis/cellphone-and-other-wireless-radiation-should-be-classified-as-a/) [Devra Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devra-davis/) > [Cows' milk protein may be the single most significant chemical carcinogen to which humans are exposed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/cows-milk-protein-may-be-the-single-most-significant-chemical/) [T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/) > [The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/the-idea-that-carbon-dioxide-is-a-carcinogen-that-is-harmful-to-our/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) > [ Casein \[the main protein found in dairy\], in fact, is the most 'relevant' chemical carcinogen ever identified; its cancer-producin g effects occur in animals… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/casein-the-main-protein-found-in-dairy-in-fact-is-the-most-relevant/) [T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/) > [No chemical carcinogen is nearly so important in causing human cancer as animal protein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/no-chemical-carcinogen-is-nearly-so-important-in-causing-human-cancer/) [T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/) > [It only takes one match to ignite a haystack, or one remark to fire a mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/it-only-takes-one-match-to-ignite-a-haystack-or-one-remark-to-fire-a/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [although science could pinpoint the exact spot in the brain that ignites rage, they had yet to identify the location that produces love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-segal/although-science-could-pinpoint-the-exact-spot-in-the-brain-that/) [Erich Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-segal/) > [The fire inside people is like a match; the way to ignite that flame is initially through friction, then other matches are lit through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/the-fire-inside-people-is-like-a-match-the-way-to-ignite-that-flame/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) ## More by Siddhartha Mukherjee > [Most days, I go home and I feel rejuvenated. I feel ebullient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/most-days-i-go-home-and-i-feel-rejuvenated-i-feel-ebullient/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [When you immerse yourself in medicine you realise that hope is not absolute. It's not that simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/when-you-immerse-yourself-in-medicine-you-realise-that-hope-is-not/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“I had a novice's hunger for history, but also a novice's inability to envision it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/i-had-a-novice-s-hunger-for-history-but-also-a-novice-s-inability-to/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Any extrapolation of history into the future presupposes an environment of static discovery—an oxymoron.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/any-extrapolation-of-history-into-the-future-presupposes-an/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Six decades and two years, no more than a passing glance of time, separate Mendel's initial experiments on peas and the court-mandated sterilization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/six-decades-and-two-years-no-more-than-a-passing-glance-of-time/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“We now know that cells have ancient detectors that recognize viral genes and stamp them with chemical marks, like cancellation signs, to prevent their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/we-now-know-that-cells-have-ancient-detectors-that-recognize-viral/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Familial schizophrenia (like normal human features such as intelligence and temperament) is thus highly heritable but only moderately inheritable. In other words, genes-hereditary determinants-are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/familial-schizophrenia-like-normal-human-features-such-as/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“If you prefer an “academic life” as a retreat from reality, do not go into biology. This field is for a man or woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/if-you-prefer-an-academic-life-as-a-retreat-from-reality-do-not-go/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“But the pigs--seventy pounds of porcine weight that did not take kindly to weekly endoscopies--did not sprout any ulcers. And testing the theory on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/but-the-pigs-seventy-pounds-of-porcine-weight-that-did-not-take/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“One of the four genes used by Yamanaka to reverse cellular fate is called c-myc. Myc, the rejuvenating factor, is no ordinary gene: it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/one-of-the-four-genes-used-by-yamanaka-to-reverse-cellular-fate-is/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [A breast cancer might turn out to have a close resemblance to a gastric cancer. And this kind of reorganization of cancer in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-breast-cancer-might-turn-out-to-have-a-close-resemblance-to-a/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“But in 1960, oncology was not yet ready for this proposal. Not until several years later did it strike the board that had fired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/but-in-1960-oncology-was-not-yet-ready-for-this-proposal-not-until/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Mutants are necessary to maintain the essence of our selves. Our genomes has negotiated a fragile balance between counterpoised forces, pairing strand with opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/mutants-are-necessary-to-maintain-the-essence-of-our-selves-our/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Even an ancient monster needs a name. To name an illness is to describe a certain condition of suffering—a literary act before it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/even-an-ancient-monster-needs-a-name-to-name-an-illness-is-to/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) [Explore all 213 Siddhartha Mukherjee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It remains an astonishing, disturbing fact that in America - a nation where nearly every new drug is subjected to rigorous scrutiny as a potential carcinogen, and even the bare hint of a substance's link to cancer ignites a firestorm of public hysteria and media anxiety - one of the most potent and common carcinogens known to humans can be freely bought and sold at every corner store for a few dollars.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Siddhartha Mukherjee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fact-that-in-america-a-nation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fact-that-in-america-a-nation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_america_it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fac_1909240.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_america_it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fac_1909240.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_america_it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fac_1909240.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It remains an astonishing, disturbing fact that in America - a nation where nearly every new drug is…” — Siddhartha Mukherjee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Siddhartha Mukherjee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It remains an astonishing, disturbing fact...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fact-that-in-america-a-nation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/it-remains-an-astonishing-disturbing-fact-that-in-america-a-nation/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```