Purification Rundown

The Purification Rundown usually takes several weeks. As well as spending time in saunas, people are required to do light exercise including calisthenics, treadmills, and other similar activities. The program consists of a course of doses of vitamins (niacin in particular), long periods in a sauna, exercise, and consumption of a blend of vegetable oils, in the belief that the subject will sweat out the toxins and replace the oils in the body's fatty tissues with the vegetable oil. Thus the effects of niacin overdose, which include skin irritation, flushing, dizziness and headache, are interpreted as a positive effect of the program. $1,790 "with discounts" in 1996 (though another 1996 source claims around $4,000 for a four-week programme), $1,200 in 1998 and $5,200 in 2009. Clear Body, Clear Mind contains a disclaimer which states that the program is not a medical treatment. A similar disclaimer appears in the Hubbard Communication Office Bulletins, noting that the treatment is not a medical process but a purely spiritual activity. Hubbard recommends that the participant should sign a waiver noting that the program is not medical treatment. == Promotion ==

The Purification Rundown is promoted as having physical and mental benefits such as lowering cholesterol, relieving pain, and improving memory. Scientology's promotional materials claim it can boost IQ by up to 15 points. Scientology promotes the Purification Rundown to the public as a detoxification program, while it also works with non-religious Scientology-affiliated groups such as Narconon to offer this program as a treatment for addiction and high levels of stress. Conditions that are claimed by Scientologists to respond to the program include cancer, AIDS, heart problems, kidney failure, liver disease and obesity. The Church of Scientology unsuccessfully tried to have the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Hubbard for his invention of the program. In California, two organizations were set up by Scientologists to try to give scientific legitimacy to the detoxification program—Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE) and HealthMed Clinic. The program, as delivered by HealthMed, is heavily promoted in the book Diet for a Poisoned Planet by journalist David Steinman, who denies any connection with the Church of Scientology. The book was the subject of a paper from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which accused Steinman of distorting facts. ==Reception==

Theoretical basis The theory behind the Purification Rundown is that toxins, drugs, and radioactive particles are stored in body fat, which are released through the exchange of fats (thus the oil consumption) and exercise, and then finally released via perspiration and other normal mechanisms such as body waste. Independent scientific evaluations report that the concentration of toxins or drugs in the sweat is negligible, as they are primarily removed from the body through the liver, the kidneys and the lungs. Evidence offered has not demonstrated that detoxification is actually taking place. A 1995 review at a medical conference described the massive doses of niacin as inappropriate, especially since they cause the release of histamine, which is counterproductive when dealing with chemical sensitivity. Psychologist Herman Staudenmayer describes the program as part of a trend for diagnosing and treating a Multiple Chemical Sensitivity disorder which does not correspond to any known disease and is likely to be psychophysiological. Three experts consulted by The Buffalo News criticised the weak evidence and dubious assumptions behind the program. David Emerson Root, a medical doctor affiliated with Narconon, has administered the program for twenty years and stands by the theory behind it. A non-Scientologist, he denies that the program collects money or new members for Scientology. Newkirk Herald Journal editor Robert W. Lobsinger solicited a number of medical experts' opinions on the program in 1989. Dr. C. Mark Palmer of Ponca City, Oklahoma rebutted the theory that sweating would clear out drugs, stating that "No matter how much a patient were made to sweat, it could not significantly increase his clearing of most drugs." After reviewing materials published by Narconon, University of Oklahoma biochemistry professor Bruce Roe described the program as "a scam" based on "half-truths and pseudo-science." A report on Narconon for the Department of Health in California described the mega-doses of vitamins as "hazardous" and "in some cases lethal". Prof. Michael Ryan, a pharmacologist at University College Dublin, testified in a 2003 court case that the program is scientifically unverified and medically unsafe. Those who market the program insist that it has been proven safe and effective. The marketing materials present testimonials for its effectiveness. Some doctors who have observed the treatment have been impressed by the testimonials but asked for evidence that improvements are caused by the program itself rather than suggestion, delusion or the placebo effect. In a 1999 French court case, five staff members of the Church of Scientology were convicted of fraud for selling the program and other Scientology procedures. In Russia, the program has been banned by officials as a threat to public health. ==Adverse outcomes==

Paride Ella and Giuseppe Tomba, clients of Narconon in Taceno, Italy, died in 1995 during the vitamin phase of the program, suffering kidney problems and a heart attack respectively. In 1996, journalist Mark Ebner described the case of a woman who had suffered heatstroke and anemia while on the program. In 1997, two emergency room doctors reported treating a 45-year-old man who had participated in the Purification Rundown. Previously healthy, he had developed tremors while on the program, for which the Church of Scientology recommended further Purification as treatment. Put back in the sauna, he developed seizures and was taken to hospital in an incoherent state. He was diagnosed with severe hyponatremia and required three days of medical treatment. A 25-year-old man in Portland, Oregon died from liver failure after having participated in the Purification Rundown. His parents sued the Church of Scientology and the case was settled out of court. ==Adoption by public bodies==

The City Council of Shreveport, Louisiana approved 20 firefighters to take the program via HealthMed in the late 1980s. The city's insurers commissioned an evaluation from toxicologist Ronald E. Gots, who dismissed the program as "quackery", saying it "served no rational medical function." The woman stayed on, funded by Narconon's trustees. This center took in hundreds of referrals in its first year but ran into financial trouble. Some judges, unconvinced of its effectiveness, refused to refer offenders. In the two years prior, the center had received $1.57 million in federal and state funding. New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project The New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project is an initiative in New York City, co-founded by celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise, which provides Purification Rundowns for public-sector employees who were exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Its president claimed to have administered the program to over 800 rescue workers. Many participants have claimed positive results, and some local government figures have supported the project, which was awarded public funding. However, it has drawn criticism for exposing rescue workers to the potential dangers of the program, for recruiting into Scientology and for channeling funding to Scientology-related bodies. The process is administered under the name of Bio-Cleansing Centers of America and has received public money in addition to private donations. Many police who have taken part claim to have benefited, though a medical doctor associated with the Utah clinic acknowledged in 2007 that there were no studies of the program's effect on people who had been exposed to meth labs. In 2007 and 2008, his office spent $140,000 to pay for 20 police to take the program, and requested a total of $440,000 from the Utah State Legislature. In 2009, Republicans in the State Legislature approved an additional $100,000 for the project in the closing days of a session, bypassing a committee which would have reviewed the payment. ==Other endorsements==

Scientologist actress Kelly Preston endorsed the program and credited it for helping the health of her son Jett. In a 1998 interview, Heber Jentzsch, president of the Church of Scientology International, credited the program with curing radiation sickness that he allegedly suffered as a result of childhood exposure to nuclear testing in Utah. although some cases of leukemia may have been associated with the tests. == See also ==