A Pack of Lies - The surgeon general hypes the hazards of secondhand smoke.

Reason ^ | July 5, 2006 | Jacob Sullum

[neverdem]

ping

[houeto]

*ping*

[Hegemony Cricket]

Come on people, the very future of the planet is at stake here. You light up, it could be TEOTWAWKI!

[Mike Darancette]

If it's so damn dangerous why don't they outlaw it?

[Publius6961]

I am waiting for the support documentation from this sleazebucket.

A federal court already told the AG's office and EPA once before that picking the parts they like from questionable "studies", and ignoring the parts they don't like constitutes fraud.

It's certainly not science!

Where did the UN WHO study go?
The one rare, long-term, multithousand person second-hand smoke truly scientific study...

[newcthem]

Isn't the SG wife some major player in smoking preventative drugs or something? No conflict of interest if it is "for the children", I suppose.

[Joe 6-pack]

The hyped danger is the linchpin for civil disobedience. What we need are people to start calling 911 every time they see somebody lighting up a cigarette. The police and 911 operators may be annoyed, but how can they dispute the legitimacy of the calls when they are employed by the same local governments that repeatedly hype the fact that smokers subject us to death or grievous bodily harm, no less than a psychopath wielding a chainsaw?

By insisting that second-hand smoke is a killer, how will they react to someone who uses deadly force against a smoker?

[Publius6961]

If it's so damn dangerous why don't they outlaw it?

Look at the bright side!

If the gummint allowed deep pockets "Big Tobacco" to get sued for trillions after warnings on packages of cigarettes for over 30 years, think of the bonanza coming soon...

I will love the even deeper pockets of Uncle Sam and the most stupid bureaucrats and activists on the planet, endlessly warning us that second-hand smoke is the greatest threat to humanity, and simultaneously failing to outlaw the most dangerous substance on earth!

Worse than asbestos... Alar... Agent Orange... you name it.
I plan to be rich!

[jeremiah]

When govts at all levels have tax benefits from tobacco companies locked in to NOT sell cigarettes in the US, then they will allow it to become an illegal product here. I believe that is what the states AG lawsuits were all about, securing a revenue stream for the future, outside of sales activity.

[Gabz]

NANNY STATE PING.....................

Jacob Sullum once again NAILS it!!!!!


Dr. Michael Siegel and I have very differing views regarding smoker bans, however, to give credit where credit is due, the good doctor has openned his eyes to the true evil that constitutes the smoker control industry. (although he still insists on calling it tobacco control)

[Bigh4u2]

Well, there is this article from 1998.

http://www.forces.org/articles/files/passive1.htm

[neverdem]

Where did the UN WHO study go?

I don't know, but Fumento's article, "Killing the passive smoking debate ," prompted me to find this one, "Environmental tobacco smoke and tobacco related mortality in a prospective study of Californians, 1960-98." It's quite interesting. Fumento also makes the point that no new studies were included in the latest press release from the Surgeon General.

[Richard Axtell]

I am really tired of this issue. The hell with it.

[mad puppy]

10 minutes after setting up to watch fire-works in the open air of the City Park last night with the wife and kids, the couple 20 ft away and up-wind both lit up their smokes.

We moved.

It stinks and is disgusting. Whose got the rights in this case? Public-park and I'd rather not inhale 2nd hand smoke, versus public-park and I'm a smoker?

[Gabz]

Isn't the SG wife some major player in smoking preventative drugs or something?

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM..........that may explain some of the comments I've been reading elsewhere about the SG getting money from the anti-smoker groups.

[bfree]

You moved, that's the correct thing to do. That or stay home.

[JamesP81]

...a key element of the government's campaign to reduce cigarette consumption get their hands on more of your money

Fixed

[Gabz]

What we need are people to start calling 911 every time they see somebody lighting up a cigarette. The police and 911 operators may be annoyed, but how can they dispute the legitimacy of the calls when they are employed by the same local governments that repeatedly hype the fact that smokers subject us to death or grievous bodily harm, no less than a psychopath wielding a chainsaw?

When the smoker, oops I mean smoking, ban went into effect in Delaware, the Chief of the Dover Police Department issued a press release telling everyone to NOT call them....they would not respond for a smoking violation unless it involved a criminal event such as assault.

According to my sources the majority of arrests that have been made in Dover (and Delaware in general) regarding smoking ban violations have been of anti-smokers physically attacking smokers.

[bfree]

If it's so damn dangerous why don't they outlaw it?

Wouldn't be able to heavily tax it if they outlaw it. How could they continue to waste all that money without the revenues from cigarettes?