BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County Health Department is concerned about something that's being passed off as a miracle cure that's actually just bleach.
They say the Miracle Mineral Solution, also known as chlorine dioxide, water purification solution, or MMS, is being promoted in Western New York and around the country to treat everything from cancer to AIDS to autism.
But you shouldn't drink it because drinking bleach, as you might guess, isn't good for you.
"This is not safe," said Dr. Gale Burstein, the Erie County health commissioner. "It's not safe to be curative for anything, and people that may use these products can get very, very ill at the expense of forgoing evidence-based medical care for their conditions."
If you already have MMS or products like it in your home, throw them away and get medical help if you've used them and have symptoms such as diarrhea, severe dehydration or vomiting.