Agent Orange

Agent Orange is the code name for an herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War. More than 21,000,000 gallons of Agent Orange were sprayed across South Vietnam. According to the VA, between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated 2.6 million military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially exposed to sprayed Agent Orange.

Agent Orange contained one of the most toxic forms of dioxin, which has since been linked to some cancers, birth defects and other heath problems. The VA and many other government departments and agencies have conducted research studies on the possible health effects of Agent Orange exposure on U.S. veterans, and have recognized many ailments associated with exposure to Agent Orange.

This past July, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report found “suggestive but limited evidence” linking Agent Orange exposure to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease and heart disease in Vietnam War veterans. The report also found “sufficient evidence,” a stronger category, of an association between herbicides and hairy-cell leukemia.

The report, written by a 14-member panel appointed by the institute, was based on a review of scientific literature. The IOM’s study was the seventh update in a series requested by the VA and mandated by Congress.