My personal history ties in strongly with Aspartame. When starting my first company in the mid 1980's, I adhered to the philosophy of needing two years worth of startup energy. Sleeping 4 - 6hrs per night with one night per week working straight thru. Diet Dr. Pepper is how I did it. Having a strong dislike for drinking coffee, I drank Diet Dr. Pepper - containing Aspartame. Once the money started to come in, psychologically it only was easier to continue abusing to my body by drinking it; even though I have never enjoyed soda.

With 20/20 hindsight, "If I had only known", but, if "they" had only told us. But money buys a lot of friends, and Aspartame production makes a lot of money. I recently bought a bottle to look at the specification listing - not to drink it. Sure enough it still contains Aspartame, and the listing on the bottle - "Warning, contents under pressure . . ." the usual.

Any manmade substance, not occurring naturally in the food chain has contraindications. The question is how severe, and on how many of us?

Drug/chemical/pharmaceutical/food conglomerates have deep pockets, and they paid me well, very well, when doing business with them during my second company in programming/consulting, and software, but not enough for this. Our lives are worth more than stock dividends and market share profits. Even though class action suits are starting in New York and New Jersey, a brain tumor is required to participate as a plaintiff.

Survival of the fittest is the same with any species; who will remain?

With the artificial sweetener Aspartame, we're beginning to see the iceberg that sunk the Titanic. Over 80% of ALL complaints to the FDA are regarding Aspartame. Whether manifesting as MS, Lupus, or Fibromylagia, to name a few - try eating organic and see how much better you feel & live.

But a little poison never hurt anyone, right?

The blood-brain barrier at the base of the brain is there to protect us. Violating it, whether by the excitotoxin Aspartame, or the street drug Ecstasy that puts holes in the brain creating an early onset of Alzheimer's; - any foreign substance that crosses it is a problem.

If you know anyone having MS, Lupus, or Fibromylagia, & you probably do; if you're concerned about your weight, and you probably are; if you're from the U.S.A. - the fattest country on earth; those of us who have been handicapped by it, and the whole population unknowingly poisoned by it; the next right thing is needed, banning Aspartame from our foods Now.

Margaret Conrad