Agent Orange Poisoned Millions During the Vietnam War

Agent Orange was a herbicide developed in the 1940s and used extensively by the United States military during the Vietnam War to clear dense jungle vegetation. The chemical contained dioxin, a byproduct of production that is one of the most toxic substances ever created. Between 1962 and 1971, the US military sprayed about 20 million gallons of Agent Orange over Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The dioxin contaminated soil and water, entering the food chain. It has been linked to cancer, birth defects, and other serious health problems in both Vietnamese civilians and American veterans. Children are still being born with birth defects in Vietnam decades after the spraying stopped, and dioxin remains in the environment.