What is Agent Orange and what is dioxin?
Agent Orange was a herbicide used in Vietnam to kill unwanted plants and to remove leaves from trees which otherwise provided cover for the enemy. In the 1970s some veterans became concerned that exposure to Agent Orange might cause delayed health effects. The concern about Agent Orange focuses not on the active ingredient, an herbicide with little or no effect on animals, but on a trace contaminant in the herbicide, dioxin. Studies have shown that dioxin and dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) can cause a variety of illnesses in laboratory animals. More recent studies have suggested that the chemical may be related to a number of types of cancer and other disorders. In 1978, the Veterans Administration set up the Agent Orange Registry health examination program for Vietnam veterans who were concerned about the possible long-term medical effects of exposure to Agent Orange. Vietnam veterans who are interested in participating in this Agent Orange program should contact the nearest VA medical
