The Agent Orange controversy in Australia: a contribution to the debate

This paper examines the claims made by the Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia that the health of Vietnam veterans has been adversely affected by exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange and other pesticides while serving in Vietnam. Three claims are dealt with in detail: those concerning the effects of exposure to pesticides on the rates of birth defects among the children of Vietnam veterans and of psychiatric disorders and premature death among themselves. Epidemiological evidence on the rate at which these adverse outcomes occur among Vietnam veterans is reviewed, as is evidence on the effects of occupational pesticide exposure on reproductive outcomes, mental health and premature death. The review indicates that there is little evidence to sustain any of the claims and much evidence against them. An analysis of the reasons for the persistence of the controversy in the face of negative evidence suggests that there has been an unfortunate confusion of two questions: are Vietnam veterans owed justice for the injustices they have suffered in the past? is their present suffering a consequence of their chemical exposure in Vietnam? The community owes it to Vietnam veterans and their families to distinguish the two questions to ensure that an affirmative answer to the first question does not depend upon an affirmative answer to the second.