Saturday, April 07, 2007

Tom Cruise’s 9/11 Detox Fundraiser

Always in the thick of things, Tom Cruise will host a gala fundraiser for a controversial detox process aimed at helping 9/11 workers recover from symptoms resulting from the tragic day.

The ‘Mission Impossible’ star is a “co-founder of the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, which provides those exposed to toxic agents in the rescue and clean-up at the World Trade Center site to a detoxification procedure developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology,” CBS statements reveal.

The scoop on the treatment… it is said to take place over a period of three to four weeks, incorporating “vitamin and mineral supplements and cold-pressed oils, as well as aerobic exercise and saunas, rather than traditional medicines. The process, administered by the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (a Scientology research group), releases toxins trapped in the fat tissues of subjects.”

According to Cruise’s detox program Web site, more than 750 men and women have “recovered quality of life and job fitness through detoxification,” since the program began in September 2002.

The controversy comes in the fact that the detox regimen is tied to the Church of Scientology. Up until the Foundation’s links to the Church of Scientology were revealed, the program was heavily endorsed and set to receive funding. According to CBS, “Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was one of several who released letters in support, who later backed off.”

Meanwhile, representatives of the policemen’s and paramedics’ unions are participating in the fundraiser, serving on the host committee.

The Post talked to Ed Mullins, the Sergeants Benevolent Association president. Mullins said “he was impressed after speaking to several firefighters who had taken the detoxification program who claimed it had reduced their dependence on some medications.”

As a result, Mullins told the Post, “I’ll do anything to help my members. I’ve got to try to do something because no one else is doing it.”