Firefighters Test Glutathione After Los Angeles Wildfire Exposure

According to the BBC, Pasadena Fire Captain David Marquez said he felt better after inhaling glutathione following the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles, which killed 19 people and destroyed 9,000 buildings. The wildfire was the second most destructive in California history. The International Association of Fire Fighters issued a rare warning about glutathione last month, citing two recent recalls tied to contaminants at compounding pharmacies and saying there is no large-scale research proving the treatment is safe or effective. Sean DeCrane, the union's assistant to the general president for health and safety, said the group does not know whether glutathione works, whether any benefit is a placebo effect, or what its long-term effects may be. The Integrated Health Action Network, formerly the Integrative Healers Network, has sent volunteer clinicians to major wildfires across the US to provide glutathione and other naturopathic treatments. Co-founder Jen Riegle said the group's data are anecdotal and not clinical trial evidence, but she wants researchers to study the treatment further. California's state Board of Pharmacy had proposed rules last year that would have sharply restricted glutathione production, but later abandoned the plan after opposition from firefighters.