DEET - SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

DEET, previously called N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, remains the gold standard of currently available insectrepellents. This substance was discovered and developed by scientistsat the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was patented by theU.S. Army in 1946. It was subsequently registered for use bythe general public in 1957 and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an insect repellent.

DEET is a broad-spectrum repellentthat is effective against mosquitoes, biting flies, chiggers,fleas, and ticks. No other substance has been found to be more effective after testing 11,000 compounds for their effectiveness in repelling insects.

In terms of toxicity, DEET has an excellent safety profile. In 1980, as a part of the EPA Re-registration Standard for DEET, over 36 major safety studies have been performed at a cost of more than $5 million to assess toxicity, mutagenicity, oncogenicity and teratogenicity. These studies have confirmed what more than 40 years of research have consistently found --that DEET products are safe when used according to label directions. Moreover, studies that incorporated high doses of DEET orally administered to mice and rats did not reveal any potential for oncogenicity or teratogenicity in humans. No other personal insect repellent has been tested as rigorously and extensively as DEET for its safe, effective consumer use.

Repellents with DEET are used by an estimated 200 million people worldwide each year, including 100 million individuals in America. Used properly, DEET based products are safe and effective, and some may argue that they are in fact safer than "all natural" products. The FDA recommends DEET products as a safe and effective way to avoid getting bitten and possibly contracting the West Nile Virus.

EPA recently reaffirmed its stamp of approval to DEET products and formulations. The Agency concluded that there are no health risks for DEET based insect repellents, with directed use (as with any product) and that these products actually a public health benefit!!