“Turbo cancer” does not exist. Oncologists reject the notion entirely. Aside from the ridiculous name, there is no evidence to support it. Bold claims promoting it as fact, are not merely invalid, but scientifically incompetent. Proponents offer no clear definition, other than insist DNA can be damaged by COVID-19 vaccines, leading to aggressive cancers. As the “died suddenly” trend begins to die out, “turbo cancer” is in top gear.
We’re told residual DNA in vaccines is responsible. Or, the vaccines enter the cell nucleus. Or, it’s not a vaccine – it’s gene therapy. Or, simian virus 40 (SV40) is the cancer-causing agent in mRNA vaccines. This last claim has origins reaching back to the 1950s and 1960s when discovery of SV40 present in oral polio vaccine was responsible for safety concerns and later cancer fear-mongering. Mechanisms of infection were verified as possible but rare, and allegations of a surge in cancers decades later, are unverified. SV40 was one of the first oncogenic viruses discovered. These viruses cause cancers in experimental animals and in some cases humans. However, not in this case. When it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, some mRNA preparations may contain SV40 fragments, which aren’t the same as the virus and are not carcinogenic. In fact there is no evidence of this ever having occurred. The fragments occur because part of SV40’s DNA sequence is used in the beginning of mRNA vaccine development.
As for so-called “turbo cancer” [Wikipedia] the term has its origins at least as far back as November 2020, according to the indefatigable Orac, who identified it in a smarmy comment to a forum post about Moderna’s request for clearance of its mRNA vaccine. By November 2022, use of the term had spiked online. It was being promoted and amplified by a number of anti-vaccine activists on social media. One such group was RFK Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense (CHD) which had emerged as a major distributer of COVID disinformation during the pandemic. In January 2023 AFP fact-checked a November 2022 Rumble video produced by CHD, featuring disgraced Canadian doctors Charles Hoffe and Stephen Malthouse. AFP reported that oncologists had informed them the claims were baseless, and added:
“There is no evidence in Canada or globally that vaccination leads to any forms of cancer or that Covid vaccines lead to rapid advancement in cancers,” British Columbia’s Ministry of Health said in a statement emailed January 11. “There is also no evidence to support Covid vaccines leading to harm to the immune system; on the contrary evidence strongly supports that Covid vaccines produce strong, effective immune responses that protect from serious illness from SARS CoV-2.”
January has ushered in some interesting developments for skeptics in Australia as dodgy practices seemingly jostle for attention. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has published welcome updates and warnings, a QLD influencer sank to a new low, our most insistent anti-vaccine fantasist copped yet another fact-check from the Australian Associated Press (AAP) and 14 members of a faith healing cult have been found guilty of manslaughter.
Black Salve
Black Salve has been a long term problem for the TGA as it remains a dangerously reckless alternative cancer treatment, linked to the unwarranted belief it offers a cure. A company and its director were convicted in 2022 for advertising alternatives to medicine not on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. A significant seizure of black salve also took place in late 2023. On 6 January this year, the therapeutic watchdog published information that following an investigation in conjunction with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, an individual faced 12 charges for alleged criminal offences under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.
The alleged offences relate to the advertising and supply of black salve, bloodroot capsules and other unapproved therapeutic goods. It is alleged that the individual made claims about the products’ ability to treat serious health conditions, including anxiety and cancer.
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of 12 months’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $222,000 for each charge.
Sanguinarine, a primary corrosive agent in black salve, is listed as a Schedule 10 substance in the Poisons Standard. These are described as substances “so dangerous to health that they are prohibited from sale, supply and use in Australia”. Whilst the TGA has not named the individual, a certain Belinda Gae Harris (pictured) who operates Tickety Boo Herbal, had prior to Christmas, revealed via video on Rumble that she had been charged in the exact manner later outlined by the TGA.
Harris remains adamant she is being charged for “helping people” and wrote, “I have been persecuted for being a healer for many lifetimes”. In her video Harris announced she has spent her life finding solutions for the damage [the TGA] have done with mRNA vaccines and “allopathic treatments”. On the topic of mRNA vaccination, Harris wrote last month on social media she used black salve and, “sucked the jab out of people straight after that poison injection”. She continued on her Rumble channel:
I’m just going to keep doing it, because I’m helping people and I’m saving lives. My angels managed to keep this at bay until 2025… I need to have a stack of evidence saying these are all the people whose lives I have saved… Oh my God, Oh my God. It just never ends with this world. This matrix is bullshit. Bullshit lies. They’re allowed to administer carcinogenic chemotherapy to people and fry the fuck out of them with their radiation. But I’m not allowed to do a simple herbal remedy that I have tested over and over again… I’ll see you in court government – who always seem to be loving watching me. I bet you’ve got the hots for me. You probably do, just like the trolls… You can’t shut me up. If you put me in jail I’ll just be educating everybody around me. Okay. Namaste. Loving you. Ben Abou.
Harris was scheduled to appear before Deniliquin local court on 4 January for Commonwealth and Police criminal mentions. One awaits updates on the matter, which aren’t presently coming from the Tickety Boo Facebook page.
Melanotan tanning products
On 24 January the TGA published a warning about the risks of using tanning products containing melanotan. Illegally sold and advertised online they consist of nasal sprays and injectable and indigestible tanning products. Unapproved for sale in Australia, they may contain toxic or counterfeit ingredients. Melanotans are synthetic peptides that increase melanin production in the skin. The risk of serious side effects mean melanotans should only be used under medical supervision. However they are being illegally promoted as safe, including by social media influencers. Vulnerable young Australians struggling with body image issues are at significant risk. The TGA write:
While the most common side effects include headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and facial redness, the most concerning one is the risk of serious skin cancers. With melanotan-II, there have been reports of increased moles and freckles, kidney dysfunction and swelling of the brain.
Melanotan is not approved for sale or use as a tanning agent in Australia. These tanning agents haven’t been assessed for their quality or safety. Since these tanning products are not approved for sale or use in Australia, you also have no way of knowing what’s in them, no matter what’s written on the label. They could be made with toxic, poor quality or counterfeit ingredients.
The TGA also warn about advertising such products and leave little to the imagination by reminding readers that “all media types visible to the public” are included and liable as breaches under the TGA Advertising Code. More so, they have “a dedicated workforce to investigate the inappropriate and unlawful manufacturing, distribution, sale, import and advertising of therapeutic goods”. Let’s hope the warning is heeded.
Meryl Dorey
Regularly warned, reminded, debunked, corrected and revealed to have a striking aversion to the truth is one Meryl Dorey, founder of The Australian Vaccination-risks Network and owner of a Very Big Tag (VBT) on this website. Meryl has been fact checked by AAP in the past for cultivating notions about child suicides, and claiming later the same year that vaccinated people are more likely to die from COVID. The latest very, very old chestnut wheeled out by Meryl during an interview on YouTube [relevant section here] with Australian Liberal MP and vaccine cynic, Russell Broadbent, is the baseless claim that medical students spend a mere few hours discussing vaccines during their entire time at medical school. This is a decades old lie and serves to support the preposterous assertion that anti-vaccine activists know more than medical professionals. Dorey told a gullible Broadbent:
When doctors study vaccination, and we had the curriculum for the New South Wales school of medicine at UNSW – University of New South Wales – and it was out of four years of medical school there was one morning where vaccinations were discussed. […]
I think that any parent who’s done a modicum of research will be able to know more about this issue than the average doctor.
Ah yes, doing your own research. Busted by AAP, Dorey replied to their queries saying the curriculum was from “many years ago” and she had spoken to “probably thousands” of doctors about vaccines. Doctors apparently supporting her version of vaccine risks. Both replies should be regarded as monumentally dubious. I recommend reading the AAP piece to appreciate medical training around immunisation, population health and the use of vaccines. However, one paragraph stood out for me. A spokesperson for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners observed:
When it comes to vaccines, as with other health issues, GPs are trained to consider the patient’s history and relevant risk factors, discuss the options available to the patient and any risks associated, and enable the patient to determine the most appropriate decisions about their own health care.
This isn’t the post to dig into this point, but bear in mind that anti-vaccine activist Judy Wilyman was awarded a PhD for a meandering literature review that made much of so-called “undone science” and unverified claims that vaccination programmes pose serious risks because they do not accomodate the genetic diversity and unique health needs of individuals. The above quote should serve as yet another reminder that the decision by the University of Wollongong to award that PhD, was and is demonstrably flawed.
Influencer charged with poisoning
The ABC joined the world’s media reporting on a 34 year old QLD mother and social media influencer, who has been charged with torture and giving her baby unauthorised medications, with the aim of attracting donations. It was a simple, if repulsive tactic; inform followers of your child’s illness, then create and exacerbate symptoms filmed to elicit sympathy. Police allege up to $60,000 was raised this way. The crowdfunding platform, GoFundMe, is presently refunding donors. It was also reported that after hospital staff improved the child’s health, the woman filled additional prescriptions and recommenced the abuse. The drug, carbamazepine, had been stopped by treating doctors due to fears it was causing seizures. Last week the woman was charged with 11 offences.
5 counts of administering poison with intent to harm
3 counts of preparation to commit crimes with dangerous things
Torture
Making Child Exploitation Material
Fraud
On 28 January a Brisbane Magistrates Court heard the woman allegedly hid her then 12 month old daughter under a blanket prior to administering unprescribed substances via a nasal tube. The child, now 18 months, was born with tuberous sclerosis, a genetic disorder which caused benign tumours in organs and can lead to epileptic seizures. Doctors believe the illegal medication administration caused further seizures in this child. The woman was caught on CCTV fiddling with her daughter’s nasogastric tube and handling a syringe, which was unrelated to her daughter’s medication. In the timeframe observed, the child went from being alert and awake to unconscious – a symptom not related to her condition.
The ABC reported on 29 January that the seizures, unexplained loss of consciousness and a cardiac arrest between August to October 2024, led the baby’s medical team to carry out high risk surgeries on intra-cranial tumours caused by the child’s genetic condition, believing them to be the causal factor. However, after the surgery the woman’s conduct was discovered. Drug screening revealed “the presence of carbamazepine and other non-prescribed medications in the baby’s system”. Bail was granted on condition the woman have no contact with her daughter other than via supervised audiovisual visits.
This will prove an interesting case with respect to the woman’s defence or indeed the reasons behind her behaviour. No doubt Factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA), originally Münchausen syndrome by proxy, is an explanation that provides answers. But in the age of social media speckled with complex reasons driving individuals to behave antisocially, illegally or in pursuit of their own malignancies, might this be too simple an answer? Critical thinking and rationality are frequently jettisoned by influencers. Perhaps we should be seeking to understand how social media influences certain users, as much as we seek to grasp how they use it to influence others.
Religious cult guilty of manslaughter
Fourteen members of a religious cult that believed God would heal an 8 year old insulin dependent type 1 diabetic and later raise her from the dead, have been found guilty of manslaughter in a judge only trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court, report the ABC. Elizabeth Struhs was denied her insulin, became critically unwell over several days and died in Toowoomba 3 years ago this month. As she suffered, the cult “prayed and sang” rather than contact emergency services. After Elizabeth died, they waited for more than 24 hours before contacting police. The Court heard the group rejected modern medicine “and put their full trust in the healing power of God”.
Being questioned by police the child’s mother, Kerrie Struhs, told police she hadn’t lost faith in God, who could raise her daughter up regardless of where she was. In a classic example of biblical fundamentalist literacy, she rejected a funeral for her daughter because, “the bible says let the dead bury the dead”. Elizabeth’s father Jason Struhs was originally charged with murder, and also told police that he expected his daughter to rise from death. The deceased’s brother Zachary, told police:
We saw the healing and we know that she was healed from the diabetes. The sickness of her natural death could have been anything that comes up on anyone — that’s not for me to know, I’m not God.
Another member, Therese Stevens, sounded quite chuffed as she explained that Elizabeth will rise again and because of their beliefs they are not “as stressed out and freaked out and emotionally damaged as you would be if you knew you’d never see that person again”. In a ruling that should prove controversial, Justice Martin could not find the child’s father guilty of murder unless he had a full realisation his daughter would die from withdrawal of her insulin. The ABC reported:
Justice Burns said he was not satisfied of this beyond a reasonable doubt, stating there was a possibility in the “cloistered atmosphere of the church which enveloped [him] and which only intensified once he made the decision to cease the administration of insulin, he was so consumed by the particular belief in the healing power of God … that he never came to the full realisation Elizabeth would probably die”.
For a similar reason he did not find cult leader Brendan Stevens guilty of murder, but found his claim that he did not influence Jason Struhs to be “arrant nonsense”. Justice Martin also found all other members influenced Jason to withhold insulin and medical care and thus, “counselled and aided in the unlawful killing of Elizabeth”. Of the 14 members, 8 were from the Stevens family, 3 from the Struhs family, there was one couple and one individual. Elizabeth’s sister Jayde who had not been on trial spoke outside the court. Whilst happy with the outcome of the trial she said the “system failed to protect Elizabeth in the first place”. In a revealing comment Jayde added:
We are only here today because more wasn’t done sooner to protect her or remove her from an incredibly unsafe situation in her own home.
As The Australian Vaccination-risks Network celebrate thirty years of spreading anti-vaccine and dangerous health advice to unsuspecting Australians, some satisfying memories of yesteryear have come to mind. Foremost is the delightful own goal scored by AVN founder Meryl Dorey, when promoting Black Salve as she bemoaned the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for taking action against the AVN for advertising a DVD, which itself promoted Black Salve. Let me explain.
It all began way back in 2012 with increasing interest in a fraudulently marketed so-called skin cancer “cure”. Namely, a corrosive salve known as an escharotic, being marketed as the near-miraculous Black Salve. A DVD sold by the (then) Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) titled One Answer to Cancer, was packed with anecdotal testimonies praising Black Salve and criticising Aldara, the medically approved treatment for keratoses and superficial basal cell carcinomas. I blogged about this at the time, and you can catch up here. It’s indicative of how quickly interest in Black Salve and the dubious DVD was spreading, to see that on 19 March 2012 the TGA published a warning about black and red salves in treating cancer. This included:
The recent use of products marketed as containing ‘Black salve’ in Australia has resulted in serious harm to the skin of three Australian consumers who used the black salves for various skin conditions including the treatment of a skin cancer.
The TGA is not aware of any credible, scientific evidence which shows that any black or red salve preparation is effective in treating cancer. These types of salves have not been formally assessed by the TGA and are not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods or exempted from inclusion.
All therapeutic goods, including those used for treating cancer, must be included in the Register unless exempted. Penalties of up to $5.5m apply to the illegal importation or supply of therapeutic goods.
The TGA was investigating importation and a complaint made about supply via the internet. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority were also investigating sales purportedly proffered for pets. The TGA stressed that the problem with corrosive salves is that they “essentially burn off layers of the skin and surrounding normal tissue. They can destroy large parts of the skin and underlying tissue, and leave significant scarring.” The corrosive quality is unpredictable and almost impossible to control. Indeed Black Salve is also referred to as a pro-necrotic agent, which I blogged about in 2019. Once the process begins, widespread necrosis follows, leading to the release of enzymes which cause the breakdown of neighbouring cell membranes. A domino effect ensues causing widespread cell death. It brings to mind the “acid for blood” scene in the movie, Alien.
Necrosis of left nostril and surrounding tissue caused by Black Salve (Wikipedia)
Proponents misleadingly call it Nature’s Scalpel. The purpose of One Answer to Cancer was to promote Black Salve and offer instructions on how to prepare your own batch, using zinc chloride and sanguinaria canadensis, also known as bloodroot. This way the DVD producers could side step charges of selling the illegal corrosive. In December 2018, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners published a comprehensive article on Black Salve, its history and use, noting that the main ingredient is the synthetic corrosive, zinc chloride. Thus claims of a “natural alternative” are inaccurate, and “catastrophic consequences can occur”. The dangers were well documented in 2012 and warnings were abundant. Nonetheless, in the AVN shop Meryl Dorey had included the following blurb with the DVD ad’.
50% of us will face cancer in our own lives at one time or another… we will have to face the choice of how to treat our illness – using toxic drugs or safe, effective, time-tested natural remedies… If you or someone you know is facing this issue or if you just want to be prepared for any future cancer diagnoses, this will be the best $25 you have ever spent!
The advertisement was in breach of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (the Act) and numerous sections of the TGA Advertising Code (the Code). The Code is an effective legislative device for drawing up complaints against the peddling of quack remedies. Once content meets the definition of an advertisement, that content is subject to a number of principles outlined in the Code. More so, persons who publish what meets the definition of an advertisement may be guilty of an offence if other other medications are criticised or if a risk of harm applies. To read the advertisement and understand how the Code and the Act applied in 2012 you can check out the complaint I lodged on 19 April that year.
Prior to 1 July 2018, advertising complaints lodged with the TGA were handled by a Complaints Resolution Panel (CRP). A media release announcing that the TGA would take on the role of complaint management is available here. Way back in 2012 my complaint was handled by the CRP, and their findings from December 2012, can be accessed here. Fifteen sections of the Code and one section of the Act were found to have been breached. The AVN were told to remove the advertisement and publish the notice below.
However long before this, the TGA informed Meryl Dorey that a complaint had been lodged, as is her right. Unsurprisingly, Meryl felt both the complaint and the request of the TGA to remove the offending advertisement was an abuse of her network’s rights. On 5 May 2012, which was about two weeks after being notified, Meryl gave an interview on Fairdinkum Radio, a production of Resistance Media. This was an early freedom fighter production, and host Leon Pittard opened the show announcing the title as, The Australian Government’s Assault on Health Freedom. For me, the highlight of the show was Meryl’s interview which you can access below, or download here.
Meryl waxed lyrical about the benefits of Black Salve and the horror of Aldara, which she falsely claimed was “banned in many parts of the world”. Meryl also managed to call the TGA Cost Recovery model, “a fairly evil policy”. She provided a dubious anecdote of her own apparent use of Black Salve and wrongly claimed it has a “two thousand year history”. She mentioned the DVD and wrongly claimed Black Salve was a combination of herbs and minerals. The interview went on for over five minutes and easily met the definition of an advertisement. An advertisement for Black Salve published in broadcast media, no less. I lodged a second complaint.
The complaint makes clear how both Meryl and host Leon Pittard were liable as advertisers. It also contains a transcript of the interview. Application of appropriate sections of the Code, the Act and the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990, justified removal of the interview/advertisement and publication of a retraction (below). By the end of January 2013 the CRP had published their findings which can be accessed here. Thirteen sections of the Code were breached along with two sections of the Act. No sections of the Code raised in the complaint were found not to be breached. More so, over five paragraphs the panel raised additional matters not in the complaint. These included a possible breach of the Act relating to the Register of Therapeutic Goods, and nine possible breaches of the Code relating to criticism of Aldara, promoting a dangerous compound for serious disease, comments about the TGA and more (see pp. 2-3).
Page 3 of the CRP report includes reference to a somewhat bizarre response to a member of the panel from both Dorey and Pittard. In essence they would cop to the findings of the panel if the member would, in his private capacity, present “true, complete and correct proof” that relating a personal condition to anyone constitutes advertising, that the person making the claim is aware of fees paid for advertising, that free speech is not an inherent right, that any corporation has the right to sue an individual and that the matter couldn’t be settled in private. Leon Pittard had long boasted of monitoring the New World Order, employed a watered-down sovereign citizen logic to his world view and, like Dorey, was a fan of conspiracy theorist, Senator Malcolm Roberts. Pittard no doubt penned the response attributed to both he and Dorey (summarised below).
To my surprise, a short time after lodging the complaint I stumbled across this ridiculous video from the USA which was defending the position of Leon Pittard and Meryl Dorey. I wonder if in the rush to defend free speech the producers did any serious research on Black Salve, or understood the danger their support posed to an unsuspecting public.
Ultimately it was rewarding to have these particular complaints upheld. The second complaint – a veritable own goal – was particularly satisfying. However as is often the case with groups beholden to anti-science ideologies and belief in a fight for “health freedom”, such advertisements aren’t always removed when requested. Non-compliance is met with further warning notices, whilst more serious penalties reflect the nature of the breach and risk to the public. There’s little doubt that Black Salve caused serious injuries at the time and a quick search reveals that it continues to cause harm and generate health authority warnings in developed nations. The TGA seized Black Salve capsules on the Gold Coast in May 2019 and again in Brisbane, in December 2023.
The TGA publish regulatory decisions and announcements and the outcomes of advertising compliance investigations. As members of the public it’s up to us to report harmful products and dodgy advertisements to the TGA. It may involve a bit of reading but not every complaint needs to begin with every potential breach.
You can report perceived breaches or questionable practices here. There’s more information on reporting, what you need to provide and accessing support to complete forms here.
An inquest into a Kambo related fatality in Northern NSW has been suspended by NSW State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan, who referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). This is the second inquest into a death linked to the frog poison touted as an alternative medicine, to be heard at Lismore Court House since May 2023.
Jarrad Antonovich
Evidence in this case described how Jarrad Antonovich attended the Dreaming Arts Festival in Arcoora Northern NSW, on 16 October 2021. He died of a perforated oesophagus that night. His day included a Kambo ritual at around 10am. Kambo ceremonies at the festival were being run by Cameron Kite. After the Kambo, Antonovich displayed symptoms of being very unwell, including a markedly swollen neck – an adverse reaction known to be caused by Kambo. Despite being unable to stand without support by 5pm, Mr. Antonovich was later given the psychoactive brew, ayahuasca. He died during the ayahuasca ceremony after being helped into a hall where it was to take place. Both Kambo and ayahuasca are illegal in Australia. The inquest heard from different witnesses that they believed Mr. Antonovich was in need of professional help, but they had been instructed not to interfere with anyone’s “journey”, and to trust the medicine, the shamans and the organisers. The offer to call an ambulance was made by other festival attendees, but Antonovich refused and elders “reassured” concerned onlookers.
An ambulance was not called until 11:30pm and took an hour to reach the remote location. As Jarrad Antonovich’s life ended, organiser Soulore (“Lore”) Solaris was strumming his guitar at the front of the gathering, as others in another location were being guided in CPR over radio, as they attempted to save Mr. Antonovich. When paramedics arrived Mr. Antonovich was blue in the face and dead. Ten or twenty people in the immediate area were engrossed in the ceremony and one asked paramedics to “move away from Jarred because they were interfering with his aura”. Both Kambo and ayahuasca are associated with vomiting or “purging”, as adherents refer to it. Ayahuasca induces violent and sometimes prolonged vomiting. The coroner was investigating the likelihood that vomiting caused Mr. Antonovich’s perforated oesophagus. The exact reasons behind the coroner’s decision to refer the case to the DPP cannot currently be revealed.
Lore Solaris and Cameron Kite
Dreaming Arts Festival organiser Lore Solaris, a counsellor who facilitates ayahuasca ceremonies, is presently subject to a NSW Health Care Complaints Commission interim prohibition order under the Health Care Complaints Act 1993, Section 41AA. The order reads in part:
Mr Soulore Solaris must not under any circumstances provide, or cause to be provided, any health services, either in paid employment or voluntary, to any member of the public.
Interim orders may apply “during any investigation of a complaint against a non-registered health practitioner”. The HCCC may make an interim order if:
a) it has a reasonable belief that the health practitioner has breached a code of conduct for non-registered health practitioners, and
(b) it is of the opinion that–
(i) the health practitioner poses a serious risk to the health or safety of members of the public, and
(ii) the making of an interim prohibition order is necessary to protect the health or safety of members of the public.
Jarrad Antonovich’s former partner, Patrick Santucci, gave evidence in May 2023 that Lore Solaris had called to reassure him Jarrad’s death was a “beautiful occasion”. Solaris told him that kinesiologists couldn’t find anything wrong with him. Kinesiologists utilise acupressure on points of the imaginary “meridian system” and wrongly believe the body can heal itself. They focus on “imbalances” which may be caused by a forgotten memory or even an attitude. They may use flower essence or homeopathy. There is no evidence kinesiology works. Mr. Santucci testified that Solaris told him an Aboriginal elder chanted sacred songs, “calling the spirit out of his body” and that:
[T]he koalas were making a special sound that is known to the elders when the land accepts a spirit.
Protecting Ayahuasca
Both Kite and Solaris were due to give evidence on 24 May; the day the inquest was suspended. Had they given evidence, it was expected the men would have responded to alarming statements given by other witnesses, describing attempts to cover up events and mislead police. For example Mr. Antonovich had difficulty breathing, was moaning in pain and his neck was swollen to the jaw line. Kambo practitioner Laara Cooper suggested giving him ayahuasca as this could “help shift” the Kambo induced discomfort. Consequently Antonovich was given what was described as a “not small” cup of the brew by Cameron Kite at the instruction of Solaris.
Cooper and Solaris had told ceremonial “guardians” to drive to Antonovich’s home and tell his flatmate not to mention to police the use of ayahuasca, in an attempt to “protect the medicines”. The inquest heard Cameron Kite was deeply distressed by events at the festival and told his partner at the time that Solaris and Cooper “just took over” the account given to police. Festival attendees were also told not to speak to police or paramedics about what actually happened as it may “damage the good work” being done with Kambo and ayahuasca. Antonovich was found to have ingested toxic levels of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT); ayahuasca’s most powerful psychedelic.
Both ayahuasca and Kambo are favoured as alternative medicines by neo-shamanic devotees, convinced purging “detox” experiences lead to personal growth and discovery. Logical fallacies such as appeal to antiquity, appeal to nature and an unguarded tendency toward xenocentrism, leave them vulnerable to experimentation and/or regular use of both substances. Traditional use of both can be traced back to indigenous tribes of the Amazon. Ayahuasca has a well established profile of around 70 years, as a promised cure for Western ailments, particularly those with a psychological component. It has also attracted research attention in offering an overhyped role in opiate addiction recovery. Despite some evidence suggesting it may have been used as early as 2000BC, widespread use across the Amazon was reliably established in the mid-19th century. Ayahuasca religions emerged very late in the 19th century. The Antonovich inquest heard that a Brazilian blend of Christianity and Amazonian shamanism (including drinking ayahuasca) had gained influence over The Australian Church of Ayahuasca, which had been active in the Northern Rivers region.
Kambo
Kambo has a much shorter history as a choice of alternative therapy in Western society. It gradually attracted interest after the International Association of Kambo Practitioners (IAKP) was established in 2014. Despite the flowery, earthy tones on their site, Kambo is emerging as a substance with a much higher risk profile than ayahuasca. IAKP claim:
IAKP teachers guide students to cultivate a profound comprehension and reverence for this potent natural modality. By enriching and forging connections with the intelligence and spirit of Kambo, our training courses enable practitioners to embrace personal growth, embark on a voyage of self-discovery, and engage in selfless service to others through the safe application of Kambo.
Kambo is collected from secretions of the Amazonian giant leaf frog, after “agitating” the innocent amphibian. Images suggest more than a little agitation is needed as they depict a frog tied by each leg and stretched asunder. The secretions are dried and packaged. Kambo is illegal in certain South American countries unless used in traditional indigenous practice, including Brazil. For Western ceremonies, the poison is reconstituted with water or saliva and applied to burn sites made with a smouldering stick on the arms, legs, chest or shoulder. Lucky recipients may get a dash of “dragons blood” tree sap as an antiseptic. The poison quickly makes its way into the lymphatic system then the bloodstream, and the effects begin.
Kambo lacks the psychedelic and hallucinogenic experience that ayahuasca brings. Writing for The ConversationMartin Williams notes:
Typically, the first symptoms reported are an initial rush of heat and redness of the face. Nausea and vomiting are often experienced within several minutes, accompanied by general malaise, racing heart, dizziness and swelling of the face, and sometimes an urge to defecate. Further effects include the feeling of a lump in the throat or difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, runny nose and tears, swollen lips, eyelids or face, and occasionally a swollen tongue or throat.
Adherents claim this process rids the body of toxins, although there is no evidence supporting the claim. In 2021 the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) classified Kambo as a Schedule 10 poison (page 9). They are defined as, “substances of such danger to health as to warrant prohibition of sale, supply and use”. Kambo does not have any medicinal benefit and can damage the liver, stomach and cause cardiac arrest. Visiting the IAKP website page on contraindications yields nothing but arguably useless advice; “For the latest updates and safety information relating to contraindications and cautions, please seek guidance from an IAKP trained Kambo practitioner.”
In the Natasha Lechner inquest findings, Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan referenced medical contraindications “according to the IAKP” (page 9) and observed it was unclear if these are supported by peer reviewed research. She also criticised the paucity of the IAKP information relating to “risks” and particularly IAKP training material on the risk of death. One thus wonders if the present absence of contraindications is a policy recently adopted by the IAKP. More so the IAKP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice omits any reference to the dangers of Kambo itself.
Natasha Lechner
Natasha Lechner died on 8th March 2019, following a Kambo ceremony at her home in Mullumbimby. The inquest into her death was held at Lismore in May 2023. NSW State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan handed down her findings in February 2024. The coronial findings (PDF) provide valuable insight into the insouciance with which self proclaimed shamanic healers prepare for what is known to be a high risk “ceremony”, and the potential for tragedy that awaits vulnerable individuals drawn into this culture. This was an unnecessary death stemming from a failure to call for help.
Natasha lived with a number of chronic health issues and was unable to work. Two months before her death she had undergone a two week basic Kambo course run by the IAKP. The coroner found that the IAKP was founded by Karen Darke who has no medical qualifications. IAKP has no input from toxicologists or medical practitioners in development of their training materials. Natasha took her role as a Kambo practitioner seriously.
In 2014 Natasha met Victoria Sinclair who, as a senior Kambo practitioner used the name Maestra Victoria. Her website mentioned in the coronial finding is still available. She advertises herself extensively, including:
Victoria is a transpersonal (eco)psychologist, trauma and postcolonial theorist and plant medicine practitioner, working on a High Priestess Level of initiation, ordained through several lineages and acknowledgments and in terms of shamanic initiation and training she worked prolifically in the Free Party Scene in Europe since 1990s and has been journeying and working extensively in Central and South America and Australia since 2006.
Indeed. Ranging a little further than the inquest findings, one discovers this woman has more qualifications I’m not familiar with. Such as these “therapeutic qualifications”:
Victoria has been a Reiki practitioner since 1999 and is a Master of both Tibetan Usui Reiki and Sekhem – Seichim – Reiki. She has been teaching people globally since 2012 and has dedicated herself deeply to upgrading Sekhem teachings to help to create a Higher Pathway to Metaphysical Ethical Practitionership as part of her Dharma.
Her training background includes; Transpersonal Psychology, Non-Dual Astrology, Epigenetics, Trauma work, Pranayama, Kundalini Yoga, Plant medicines, De-colonisation and Quantum, sound and ancestral practices… She is also a plant communicator.
If you’re not convinced you’d want to be alone with Victoria when you take a frog’s defensive secretion that the TGA later classified as a schedule 10 poison, be aware that Victoria also works with indigenous groups, “around spiritual sovereignty and healing of self and eliminating planetary dis-ease to nurture higher vibrational being for the new age and evolution of homo luminus.”
Victoria Sinclair as Maestra VictoriaVictoria Sinclair as Padma Khandro
Ranging a little further allows us to meet her latest incarnation, Victoria Padma Khandro, who is offering over this year and next:
High Level Multidimensional Mentoring
Non-Dual Astrology readings and Time-line work
Soul-plan work involving fusion clearing, psychotherapy, Quantum Transfiguration, Ancestral Work, Gene Keys and Astrology zero-pointing
Therapeutic packages including ancestral work, IFS, Quantum Transfiguration, Quantum Art Therapy and sometimes in-house referrals to deepen the scope of the work.
Returning to the inquest findings, we find that before 2019 Victoria had performed Kambo ceremonies on Natasha who either paid her or provided accomodation. In March 2019 Victoria Sinclair was visiting from Ireland and was staying with Natasha at Mullumbimby. Before Sinclair arrived Natasha had reported feeling “really off”. It should be stressed that the “ceremony” was Natasha’s idea. They began the ritual by using Sananga eye drops. Sananga is another psychoactive plant extract associated with a host of unproven health benefits. Natasha administered Kambo to Sinclair who vomited, as expected, without incident.
Sinclair administered the burn wounds onto Natasha with an incense stick, then applied the Kambo. Immediately Natasha became faint and lay down. Two minutes later she sat up, grabbed Sinclair’s hand and said “this isn’t good” or “something’s not right” before passing out. Sinclair thought she might be “processing something” and held her upright for about 10 minutes as Natasha made moaning noises. Only then did she lay Natasha down in the recovery position and remove the poison from the wounds. She attempted to revive her by pouring water over her head. Then noticing goose bumps, assumed she was cold and began to massage her limbs.
Sinclair began CPR after noticing Natasha’s lips were blue. She attempted to use a mobile phone to call an ambulance. This failed as “she did not normally use mobile phones” and didn’t know the Australian emergency number. I find this deeply troubling as mobile phones allow access to dial emergency services without needing to be unlocked, or input of the specific number. As the more experienced Kambo practitioner, with a promoted reputation of travelling the global party scene, Sinclair should have known this. Natasha’s house-mate arrived home around 90 minutes after the ceremony had begun. She immediately began CPR and called an ambulance which arrived within 5 minutes. Natasha was already dead. Despite testifying she had ceased Kambo administration after Natasha’s death, Victoria Sinclair still advertises the service. The coroner specifically addressed the legalities of Sinclair’s involvement on pp. 12, 13 & 15.
As I touched on above, the coroner was critical of the IAKP training material on the risk of death. Evidence given by Sarah Morrison (aka Aisha Priya) cited the various risks discussed (page 10). On death, information for Kambo practitioners was:
Death is discussed as a risk if the water guidelines or first aid are not adhered to or if a client is contraindicated and does not disclose this or does not know they have a medical condition.
The coroner observed the incompleteness of this information and noted it does not advise even healthy people of the true risk of Kambo. Available literature and the two cases brought to the coroner’s attention led her to observe “that death can occur even where there is no pre-existing condition, or at least not one that could be possibly identified beforehand.” It is likely Natasha experienced an acute cardiac event caused by Kambo, such as cardiac arrhythmia leading to cardiac arrest or hypotension leading to cerebral hypoxia followed by respiratory arrest, as causes of her death.
Conclusion
Kambo is emerging as a significantly dangerous substance favoured by individuals interested in extreme so-called alternative medicines. It has been rapidly adopted by communities already familiar with ayahuasca, yet has a demonstrably higher risk profile. There is no scientific evidence to support the efficacy of Kambo in alleviating health problems as claimed by proponents. Nonetheless, the presence in Kambo of peptides and polypeptides with analgesic properties and affinity for opiate receptors may explain “feelings of well being and improvement of motor skills”, that users describe, and offer insight into repeated use.
Still, it is the very complex nature of active substances in the secretion that cause arterial hypotension, palpitations, cardiac arrhythmia, facial swelling (see Maestra Victoria above) and uncontrolled smooth muscle changes in the gut. To hope that shamans and self-styled practitioners of Kambo, who offer it as a means to spiritual awakening, are all capable of managing a genuine adverse reaction to the poison is futile. Use of Kambo in Western rituals is entwined with new age scam “therapies” so clearly divorced from reality as to almost beggar belief. This is not the case in the indigenous Amazon populations using Kambo.
Vulnerable individuals interested in exploring non evidence-based treatments for chronic health problems are at high risk of harm if not death from Kambo and its eager promotion. Use is likely to further increase and the self-appointed arbiters of Kambo sourcing and education, the IAKP, are manifestly ill prepared to manage present risks or to protect users.
Community education and adaptation of Harm Reduction strategies may likely prove beneficial in negating risk.
Recently there has been some press coverage that potential running mates for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are themselves well versed in conspiracy theories.
Kennedy, the driving force behind anti-vaccine pressure group Children’s Health Defense, which includes Children’s Health Defense Australia (recently abandoned website), is running as an independent for President of the USA. One possible running mate is Jesse Ventura who was mentioned here when the antics of Rima Laibow were reviewed. The other is Aaron Rodgers who has entertained a number of conspiracy theories including denial of the Sandy Hook shootings. Both are anti-vaxxers.
Kennedy has lobbied for years promoting the debunked link between MMR vaccines and autism. In the early days of the COVID pandemic he emerged as a vocal critic of COVID-19 vaccines. Which for a presidential contender, is understandably proving to be a problem. As measles cases rise across the US it isn’t surprising that Kennedy is not attacking vaccines on the campaign trail. In April last year Kennedy announced he would take leave of his roles as Chairman and Chief Legal Counsel of CHD, although the US site still lists him as both.
Exactly why the CHD Australian chapter URL is parked, just seven months after launching is unclear, although the Instagram page remains. What can’t be denied is Kennedy’s long history of spreading vaccine disinformation. In the early days of his campaign Kennedy talked about plans to tell NIH scientists it is time “to give infectious disease a break for about eight years”. However as his presidential campaign continues he is, according to NBC in the below clip, keeping his usual anti-vaccine message “relatively quiet”.
RFK Jr. relatively quiet on antivax message despite past ties
Losing In The Lucky Country 