A chemical-attack treatment that many American allies have had for years will now be available to emergency responders in the United States under an Army decision announced Wednesday by the product's manufacturer. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Avon Skin so Soft Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion for Army use in April 2003, a move that also gave the Army control over whether other federal agencies and state and local governments could buy it. For over a year, the Army declined to make the lotion available to first responders, saying more testing was needed. On Wednesday, its manufacturer, O'Dell Engineering, said the Army had concluded the product was safe for use by emergency responders at all levels of government. Those now able to acquire it range from local police and fire departments to federal agencies such as the State Department and the U.S. Capitol police.
| This does seem like a no-brainer. |
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