It has been said that those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This lesson learned is from an event that, although it predates me, has influenced my approach to public health over my entire career.
The antibacterial drug sulfanilamide was responsible for the deaths of more than 100 people in 15 states during the fall of 1937. Many of the deaths were children being treated for sore throats. This tragic incident led to the passage of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which significantly increased the powers of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate food and drugs.