Concern about military toxic exposure injuries remains high among vets – By Leo Shane III (Military Times) / Nov 22, 2023
Veterans Affairs medical staff say patients continue to report high rates of concern about potential military toxic exposure injuries, underscoring the non-combat dangers faced by troops across different generations of military service.
In November 2022, as part of outreach efforts mandated under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act — better known as the PACT Act — VA officials began administering toxic exposure screenings as part of regular veteran health care visits. VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal said this week that the department completed nearly 5 million total screenings in the last year.
About 40% of veterans surveyed reported potential health concerns related to burn pit smoke, Agent Orange poisoning, water contamination or other military toxic exposure threats during their time in the ranks, Elnahal said. That rate has remained steady over the course of the last 12 months.
“It’s connected to all generations,” he said. “This is really a confirmation of what advocates have been saying for years, that the denominator of veterans exposed to harmful substances is quite large.”
