MEDICINE AND NUCLEAR-WAR - FROM HIROSHIMA TO MUTUAL ASSURED DESTRUCTION TO ABOLITION 2000

To determine how physicians might participate in the prevention of nuc lear war in the post-Cold War era, we review, from a medical perspecti ve, the history of the nuclear weapons era since Hiroshima and the sta tus of today's nuclear arsenals and dangers. In the 1950s, physicians were active partners in governmental civil defense planning. Since 196 2, physicians have stressed prevention of nuclear war as the only effe ctive medical intervention. Public advocacy by physicians helped end b oth atmospheric nuclear testing in the 1960s and superpower plans for fighting a nuclear war in the 1980s. Today's dangers include nuclear a rms proliferation, an increasing risk of nuclear terrorism, and the 35 000 warheads that remain in superpower nuclear arsenals, many still on hair-trigger alert. Physicians have recently joined with military and political leaders and over 1000 citizens' organizations in calling fo r the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Global medical collabor ation in support of a verifiable and enforceable Nuclear Weapons Conve ntion would be a major contribution to safeguarding health in the 21st century.