Passive Smoking Doesn't Cause Cancer - Official

13 November 2002

[SheLion]

UK Sunday Telegraph...
Passive Smoking Doesn't Cause Cancer - Official


Headline: Passive Smoking Doesn't Cause Cancer - Official
Byline: Victoria MacDonald, Health Correspondent
Dateline: March 8, 1998

The world's leading health organization has withheld from publication a study which shows that not only might there be no link between passive smoking and lung cancer but that it could even have a protective effect. The astounding results are set to throw wide open the debate on passive smoking health risks.

The World Health Organization, which commissioned the 12-centre, seven-country European study has failed to make the findings public, and has instead produced only a summary of the results in an internal report. Despite repeated approaches, nobody at the WHO headquarters in Geneva would comment on the findings last week.
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The findings are certain to be an embarrassment to the WHO, which has spent years and vast sums on anti-smoking and anti-tobacco campaigns. The study is one of the largest ever to look at the link between passive smoking - inhaling other people's smoke - and lung cancer, and had been eagerly awaited by medical experts and campaigning groups. Yet the scientists have found that there was no statistical evidence that passive smoking caused lung cancer.

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The research compared 650 lung cancer patients with 1,542 healthy people. It looked at people who were married to smokers, worked with smokers, both worked and were married to smokers, and those who grew up with smokers. The results are consistent with there being no additional risk for a person living or working with a smoker and could be consistent with passive smoke having a protective effect against lung cancer.

The summary, seen by The Sunday Telegraph, also states: "There was no association between lung cancer risk and ETS exposure during childhood." A spokesman for Action on Smoking and Health said the findings "seem rather surprising given the evidence from other major reviews on the subject which have shown a clear association between passive smoking and a number of diseases."
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Dr Chris Proctor, head of science for BAT Industries, the tobacco group, said the findings had to be taken seriously. "If this study cannot find any statistically valid risk you have to ask if there can be any risk at all. "It confirms what we and many other scientists have long believed, that while smoking in public may be annoying to some non-smokers, the science does not show that being around a smoker is a lung-cancer risk."

[metesky]

You never know, Eva, but isn't life best left up to the one who actually has to live it?

In my father's case, he started smoking at fifteen and smoked for sixty years until he was seventy-five.

He was a tax accountant also, retired out of IRS and ran his own business until he was eighty-nine.

He's been a little bored the last six years, but he's still here at 95.

I sometimes think that heredity and genes have a lot to do with our chances at longevity.

[borisbob69]

Actually, I am sorry you have such a bad reaction to smoke of any kind...and I did read your original post. The example you gave was apples to oranges. Floating smoke vs a missile fire lunger isn't an equal comparison.

If I were to feel guilty that means I think I did/said something wrong...let me check...nope no guilt here! Sorry...lol

[SheLion]

My father-in-law also died of lung cancer, at 80, 15 years after he quit smoking. His lungs also looked clear in his check ups, but when he developed the lung cancer, the oncologist told him that the lungs were still damaged, 15 years after he stopped. The sad part is that he was so healthy in every way, when he developed the cancer. He was still running his own tax accounting service, working every day. He probably would have lived to be 100.

Well, Eva. I appreciate your posts, but there is nothing you can say to me to make me think of quitting smoking. Its legal, I enjoy it. Coffee and cigarettes are me.

And also my deep belief in God. When He calls me, it won't matter jack squat if I smoked or not. So......it's my life, smoking is legal, I love it. We have three bars/restaurants up here that have super smoking accomodations for smokers, and that is where we spend our money and our tips.

Most of our friends are smokers, and we do have some non-smoking friends who could care less about smoke. They just enjoy the friendship.

We live in northern Maine and have heated this big house with a big wood furnace since the winter of 1984. It's a dirty heat but a hot one. If second hand smoke were to get us, it would surely be from that wood furnace. But, hubby and I are doing great.

The only child I care to be around is my grandson, and hubby and I surely have enough sense not to smoke around him. He is in Denver anyway.

When they make tobacco illegal, then that will be the day we quit smoking. Until then..........we truly enjoy it. It's much better then booze or prescription drugs. :)

[Gabz]

I really can't understand why so many of you addicts think it's so bad for me to spit on you, but you should be able to suck on a poison weed, draw the smoke inside you mucous filled, tar coated lungs and then expel it into my nose, mouth and lungs. Could it be that it's because of your addiction and lack of self control you know you could never give up your drug addiction to nicotine and can only try to rationalize it, and just what would an old woman or 15 yr old do to an ex viet nam vet, black belt instructor packing heat?

What I can't understand is how you antis can not conduct a rational adult debate by resorting to insults and threats.

A very mature approach to the world.

[XDemocrat]

Read my original post, was it ugly?, or am I now just responding to attacks? After all some of my best friends are smokers.
I enjoy the debate but alas my wife says I have to fix the dryer. You all light one up in my honor, and I really hope smoking isn't shortening your lives. I know my kids and 2 new grand kids want me around as long as possible.

[Madame Dufarge]

You're welcome!

[SheLion]

I can't imagine a smoker ever volunteering to encroach on your rights. That would require them to be in your vicinity which I suspect is a hate-filled place to be!

Ain't it the truth!  Why does he need to be so NASTY???!!!

[Eva]

I really don't care if you smoke, either. It is a filthy, smelly habit, but if you like it, that's your business. Just don't try to tell anyone that it is not harmful until you are a senior citizen.

By the way, I don't burn wood in my fireplaces, either.

[Red Jones]

a lot of people really like to bash smokers. I know one guy who used to be a smoker, but he quit more than 10 years ago. But if he's around someone who smokes a cigar he claims to have these severe allergy attacks. I think it's psychoseumatic myself. Like the guy above who claimed his own parents should've been jailed when he was a kid because they smoked in his house, a bit bizarre, something else is going on here. Some people really need someone to bash and without that outlet they would turn into racists I suppose. So, congratulation She-Lion, you smokers are saving the whole world from racism. keep up the good work; and that's amazing about your husband with 2 purple hearts!!

[XDemocrat]

Never ask you to quit smoking, never claimed victim status, just stating facts. If you get hit in the nose with a baseball bat, is your nose broken or are you just acking like a victim? You smokers are unreal, and uncapable of seeing another point of view.

[SheLion]

I think people who jump on the anti-smoking bandwagon, do so because it makes them feel better. By better, I mean, better than you or me. I have been told that my granddaughter-to-be cannot visit at my house. Oh well...

The anti-smokers have BRAIN WASHED a lot of people! Smokers have been demoralized in the worst possible light.

And I am SO very sorry about about your granddaughter. So sad. My heart breaks for you..........

[metesky]

When they make tobacco illegal, then that will be the day we quit smoking.

Oh come on, SheLion!

Aren't the illicit pleasures always a little sweeter?

[Gabz]

Please addicts, reply to my arguments, not my grammatical errors.

You don't have any arguements - just insults.

Until the Surgeon General changed the definition of "addict" to include cigarette smoking it was a common acceptance, even inn the medical community, that smoking was a "habituation."

Once the definition was changed everything, including eating chocolate and surfing the internet became an "addiction."

[SheLion]

Please addicts, reply to my arguments, not my grammatical errors. Sorry about the typing mistakes, my eyes are a little swollen from the neighbors burning leaves, but that's ok, their yard looks nice.

You keep referring smokers to being addicts! So what is YOUR relaxation of choice: prescription drugs or booze?

[Just another Joe]

I really can't understand why so many of you addicts think it's so bad for me to spit on you

That's the third or fourth time you have called me an addict. Why don't you quit the name calling and come out with some scientific proof.
For an "XDemocrat" you're sounding like a real demoncrat.

[SheLion]

I know my kids and 2 new grand kids want me around as long as possible.

I'm sure they do. But it's up to the Lord.

[Gabz]

So what is YOUR relaxation of choice: prescription drugs or booze?

ACKKKKKKKKK - I'm a real good roll model aren't I??? I smoke in public and drink booze too..............I' SOOOOOOOOOO Evil.

On that note - I think I'll get myself a beer.

[SheLion]

I really don't care if you smoke, either. It is a filthy, smelly habit, but if you like it, that's your business. Just don't try to tell anyone that it is not harmful until you are a senior citizen.

We don't consider it a filthy, smelly habit. We ALL know that smoking isn't good for your health! However, our Surgeon General recently came out with HIS report stating that OBESITY has overtaken smoking for health disease and health care!

Health & Science: Surgeon general warns obesity may overtake tobacco as leading preventable killer

and

OBESITY LINKED TO HIGHER RATES OF CHRONIC ILLNESS AND WORSE PHYSICAL QUALITY OF LIFE THAN SMOKING, DRINKING OR POVERTY THREE OF FIVE ADULT AMERICANS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE

So now you can go pick on FAT people. How's that!

Also, people knew back in the 50's that smoking was not good for them. This is not something new the Anti Smoking nuts discovered! So, if it's so bad for us, why didn't they make it illegal? Sure is mind boggling, isn't it.

[Publius6961]

BUMP

[SheLion]

So, congratulation She-Lion, you smokers are saving the whole world from racism. keep up the good work; and that's amazing about your husband with 2 purple hearts!!

It's a hard road we fight, Red Jones! I do get discouraged and many times, just want to throw my hands in the air and say to hell with it. But this nico-nazi stuff going on, well, as an American, I just CAN'T give it up. This is about Freedoms!

Yes, hubby is known as Maine Rebel in here, although he is just a lurker on his own PC. But I sent his photo over to Billie and she is going to post it at the Vet site soon.

Funny how all the Vets smoked and how many are alive to day to talk about Viet Nam, eh? Surely, all that smoking and second hand smoke should have KILLED them by now. /sarcasm off.

Thanks, Red Jones!