In the aftermath of California's devastating Eaton Fire, firefighters desperate for relief from chronic smoke-exposure symptoms have turned to inhaled glutathione — an antioxidant compound with intuitive appeal but no rigorous scientific validation. The scene playing out at roadsides and treatment tents near the nation's largest wildfires reflects a tension as old as medicine itself: the human need for relief pressing against the slower, colder discipline of evidence. As wildfire seasons grow more destructive and the occupational toll on firefighters becomes harder to ignore, the question of w
Firefighters Turn to Unproven Glutathione Treatment Despite Safety Concerns
Firefighters exposed to toxic wildfire smoke suffer chronic cough, headaches, fatigue, and elevated cancer risk; 19 people died in the Eaton Fire alone.