... For the last year, according to her social media posts and documents from a police investigation, Laurel Austin has been giving two of her adult sons, Jeremy and Joshua, chlorine dioxide. The Food and Drug Administration warns the solution amounts to industrial bleach, and doctors say it can cause irreparable harm when ingested, including damage to the digestive system and kidneys.
Since January, when Bradley Austin learned that his ex-wife was using chlorine dioxide on their sons, he has been trying to stop her (he is also exploring fighting for guardianship of his sons); but the local police, the state's division of adult protective services and a medical doctor treating Jeremy have all declined to intervene. A police spokesman said there was not enough evidence that chlorine dioxide was dangerous; a caseworker with the Kansas Adult Protective Services told police that she did not see the situation as serious enough for the state to take action.
The Austins’ case illustrates the ways in which online health misinformation can become so pervasive that it begins to sway not only those on the fringe who are seeking alternate treatments and explanations but also authorities, including doctors and the police, who are charged with protecting the most vulnerable. ...
Source: This CBSNEWS article