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Second Hand Smoke Swindle?

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Second Hand Smoke Swindle?
Reformed Nihilist
Oblong
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Posted 10/17/07 - 02:07 PM:
Subject: Second Hand SMoke Swindle?
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#1
I was surfing and found the following link: http://www.davehitt.com/facts/

A few of the bits of info that I found particularly interesting were the contrast between the press realease entitled "PASSIVE SMOKING DOES CAUSE LUNG CANCER, DO NOT LET THEM FOOL YOU" and the actual content of the study : "CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate no association between childhood exposure to ETS and lung cancer risk. We did find weak evidence of a dose-response relationship between risk of lung cancer and exposure to spousal and workplace ETS. There was no detectable risk after cessation of exposure"

No, it's not a barefaced lie, but shouldn't this trouble us and make us somewhat suspicious of such press releases? People are making legislation based on these studies.

Thoughts? Critiques of the website posted? Other relevent facts?

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hyena in petticoat
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Posted 10/17/07 - 10:35 PM:
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#2
I am thinking that sometimes, press releases and studies are "manipulated" to be in favor of the motives of certain groups. I think so called "facts" are, intentionally or otherwise, manipulated depending on what the purpose of the "facts" are.

The above being said, people can also "build up" facts or studies or statistics to serve their intentions. I mean, popularity doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Some things are made popular to make it believable. Some truths are kept hidden to protect certain people's interest.

As to second hand smoke, I have always been a bit skeptic about it. (I mean, people have been exposed to smoke from vehicles, etc. with the polluted air of the metro. So what difference does it really make?

Based on personal observation, direct exposures of babies especially the one's with asthma to second hand smoke does really trigger the illness. So perhaps in an indirect manner, second hand smoke does have an effect even after cessation of exposure only in a way that it kind of "established" the illness in these people.

As to direct effects of it to normal people...

Just a thought.


Edited by hyena in petticoat on 10/17/07 - 10:50 PM

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rabeldin
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Posted 10/18/07 - 04:59 AM:
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#3
I think that the vast majority of folks come to everything they read with an attitude. Nobody is neutral. If you disaprove of smoking, you will read such articles as supporting you. It is important for propagandists to provide a hook to catch every kind of fish, especially the suckers.

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PeeGee
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Posted 10/19/07 - 08:24 AM:
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Whether it's in Canada or Toronto, I've read that apartments can now be deemed 'smoke free', regardless of what the owner / landlord wishes.

example: http://www.smokefreeapartments.org/

The example that we all breathe second hand pollution from cars and other sources pretty much shows this initiative as very likely a political one and not a health issue. For that reason, and also because I'm a libertarian above all things, I don't support banning public smoking.

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stuckongreen
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Posted 11/06/07 - 09:35 PM:
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Penn & Teller have a tv show called "Bullshit" where they cover this subject; and at the time, yes, it was a bunch of bullshit. but they have now done conclusive studies that show the hazardous effects of second-hand smoke.

so in the end they were right, but the fact that they began legislation on evidence that didn't exist is still a little nerve-wracking
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Oblong
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Posted 11/06/07 - 10:03 PM:
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stuckongreen wrote:
Penn & Teller have a tv show called "Bullshit" where they cover this subject; and at the time, yes, it was a bunch of bullshit. but they have now done conclusive studies that show the hazardous effects of second-hand smoke.

so in the end they were right, but the fact that they began legislation on evidence that didn't exist is still a little nerve-wracking


Which specific hazerdous effects? I don't deny that there are some, but public perceptions are being shaped by just these sorts of vague, unspecific and unfalsifiable claims. That is the part that I find really scary. If you simply offered the specific study, its methods and results, then we could look at it and rationally debate the subject. "They" (the people who claimed that there was clear and uncontrovertible evidence that second hand smoke increases the likelihood of contracting lung cancer to a significantly measurable degree) were not right in the end from what I am aware of.

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rabeldin
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Posted 11/07/07 - 04:15 AM:
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Figures don't lie but liars figure.

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