NHK Documentaries

50 Years On: The Poison of Thalidomide (2016x39)

: 02, 2016

The thalidomide poisoning incident of the early 1960's was the first of a series of drug poisoning cases in Japan. In 2014, the Japanese government released results of a survey of the present condition of the thalidomide victims. Physical examinations using cutting-edge medical technology and interviews with victims revealed a wide array of disabilities that had previously been undetected. The never-ending consequences of their poisoning have forced the victims to reexamine their lives. Following individual victims as they once again confront the nature of their exposure, a portrait of a half-century of "the poison of thalidomide" emerges.