Hello Johan;
In response to an article; comparing those who challenge the conclusion that secondhand smoke causes heart disease and lung cancer with those who deny the Holocaust.
I understand the Editors obvious insult taken, by the length of my initial response. Perhaps if I condensed it to include the most relevant points, he might well understand more precisely, what was being said. Understanding this is an effort of repeating myself, I believe the message might become more clear the second and now the third time around.
First and foremost; the article is offensive and promotes hatred targeting individuals. In a crass attempt at ad hominid logic, in the very worst of insensitive design. Supported by ideology and fundamental extremism, in regard to normal and casual exposures to second hand smoke [which are not known to be harmful] much more than credible ""science""", which is reported to be the context of your publication. Secondly there is an undisclosed conflict which should be obvious to anyone reading this discussion of DENIALS no less.
I would like to report a failure to disclose personal conflicts of interest, on behalf of the authors. Provocative details which would not be apparent or obvious to the reader. Details which would add support to the authors credibility in a failure to disclose; who these people are and what they devote so much of their time and efforts to support. In my opinion; not entirely without compensation [both financially and in direct support of their other Medical Journal publication proposals], one would also have to assume. Disclosures which are relevant and require notation.
Evidence?
Diethelm as a Career?
http://www.tobacco.org/resources/rendezvous/diethelm.html
"During the 1980s and early 1990s, I gradually developed a sense of anti-smoking advocacy, mainly for two reasons: first, because it caused me pain to see obvious signs that friends and people around me were ruining their health by smoking; second, because I grew more aware of the discomfort and health risks of secondhand smoking.
As an anti-smoking advocate, I follow two tracks.
One track is in my capacity of WHO staff member.
I volunteered a few years ago to develop a computerized system aimed at producing and retrieving country profiles and regional profiles of tobacco consumption.
Since then my interest in helping WHO in its fight against smoking has continued.
I was delighted when Dr Brundtland declared tobacco one of her top priorities, created the Tobacco Free Initiative, and asked Derek Yach to lead it.
In my capacity of Team Leader, Networking and Telecommunications, my role is to provide IT support to the project. "
McKee By his own hand?
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/326/7398/1057
"Competing interests: As editor of the European Journal of Public Health, MM published another paper by authors funded by the Center for Indoor Air Research. This publication was the centre of a long-running dispute between the journal and the authors concerning undeclared conflicts of interest. It led to his involvement as a witness in a lengthy legal dispute that has recently been resolved (referred to in response). He has received funding from several national and international agencies for work on tobacco control. "
Hypocracy?
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/news/2004/tobaccopmorris.html
"Professor McKee concludes: "we believe that it is essential that those involved in reviewing evidence on smoking and health should be aware of what appears to be the selective nature of what is eventually published by some scientists with links to the industry, and the evidence that sometimes mechanisms appear to have been used to disguise these links. Any research in this field must involve full disclosure of competing interests and any involvement of the tobacco industry in the instigation, design, analysis or interpretation of findings. Specifically, Philip Morris should be required to explain why it took the steps documented here to maintain what appears to have been considerable secrecy about its role in research on the effects of sidestream (passive) smoke and consequently its knowledge of its effects, effects that appear at odds with its public statements."
Lancet Editor Richard Horton comments: "Given the continuing debate about the way governments should respond to calls for a ban on smoking in public places, we have published this work early online to inform that discussion as a matter of urgency. Pascal Diethelm and his colleagues reveal attempts by one company-Philip Morris-to conceal their links to a research centre in Germany studying the health effects of smoking. The research conducted in that facility appears to have been selectively reported in order to favourably shape public impressions about the safety of passive smoking.""
From my submission;
The anti smoking movement is largely indebted, in trust and in league with conflicted Industrial interests who are profiting tremendously just as the brokers of that partnership predicted they would. The Lobby never denied it and proudly congratulate their Industrial partners openly in UN forums and at the many anti smoking conferences internationally. Industry partners represent an obligation to produce profit; not as a duty to communities, but as a duty only to their own stakeholders. Although not as well examined as the Tobacco industry, fully of the same educational standards operating procedures and community values, as any other industry executives in current communities. The problem with this continual oration of “the evil tobacco industry” described often in context as a single person on trial for decades is that society has evolved, and the current executives, would not dare to travel, where their predecessors felt comfortable in a much less restrictive world.
Chasing pseudo-dragons is a great talking point, however in real world evaluation, some of the stuck in the sixties mentalities, simply have to grow up and move on, to more current problems and perspectives. Connecting “debaters” or “dissenters” instinctively? First as advocates of “the evil industry”, and now as something as repulsive or detracted as a “Holocaust denier” is self serving, without the necessary credibility of truth or evidence. If this is a scientific discussion and not, one of theology in a dark age’s reign of superstition; this declaration is not helpful and has no place in scientific evaluation. It has become common knowledge the use of certain buzz words in Internet connected documents, will increase the readership, because they attach the article to unrelated searches. Does credible science, in an age of expanded access to our knowledge base, truly wish to define its own integrity or credibility so casually?
This publication demands apology and retraction, for those who take insult by the casual ignorance expressed by self service, in an outrageous connectivity, we see a failure to respect the emotional tragedy, by the memory of those who perished, or what is still experienced by those who survived them.
Best Regards;
Johan Mackenbach wrote:
Is this the same person whose letter we have rejected earlier? Let's be
careful. I think this letter is too long, and difficult to follow, so I am
not inclined to publish it, but please check first.
Johan
Original submission
Pascal Diethelm and Martin McKee in their article herald the absolutes of scientific reason, as a measure of the biggest dog in the yard. The renaissance foundation of modern science; while standing on the slippery slope of the next dark age. The halt of all further investigations as they describe it; because if the largest group can form consensus; even if that consensus excludes all recognition of selected voices, the discussion is over? This should form the basis for protecting what has been achieved or determined, in place of science, for all time? Real science is normally found outside of a group think atmosphere, as a result of effort, and not an ideology in opposition to that legitimizing work, the preordained or scientific antithesis. We have achieved a level where we can declare we know everything and we can prove it, with advertising campaigns? Does the strength of a Lobby partnership now presume to undermine the reproducibility measure of science, as secondary to theological evaluations, which only allow group think results?
The Lexis on which they rest their case, by revisiting the flat earth theologies immediately suggest a huge obstacle in the foundation of integrity or freedom to investigate without restrictions or disdain. This article is entirely consistent with the reasoning; if a being is capable of speech, intelligence and logic can automatically be assumed. The parrots, who call for nationalization of the science as a cultural reality, have yet to pass further investigation.
Science in its traditional sense is not determined as a beachhead, to be held in dictatorship as a nationalist or fascio ideology. If it is, we have to ask who rules this nation and where are this nation's boarders? Beyond the prophesies of would be; UN partnered despots dealing out “Public Health Protections”. While protecting us only from ourselves; while exaggerating the levels of fear and apprehension to solidify only their own prominence.
If second hand smoke and or environmental tobacco smoke carries a larger degree of risk than we once believed, where is the offset? Are we to believe religiously as Thun has attested; Enstrom and Kabat are in error, because they fail to realize the large exposures of the non smoking public. Inexplicably this exposure in its minor or casual level, would not be an offset by universal exposure, but would have to increase only the health risk among non smokers?
This alternate form of logic can be found in the belief that all, so called “clean air” is and was always absolutely harmless. Air which comprises the vast bulk of ETS with no recognition ETS might ever be diluted in air. Reinforced now by claims of “no safe level”. The “clean” air in high demand, by their presentations which affirm its actual existence; is now thought to be harmless and of no concern by any evaluation or comparison. Or at least until the next Thunesque statement arises, to use the “clean” air similarly.
We have to now concede this promotes the idea; because smokers themselves are far more exposed; that primary smoking is not as dangerous as we once believed? Those determinations of risk were initially made on the basis of comparing non smokers to smokers directly, without any risk of ETS considered. If in fact we now have two significant risk factors to be examined separately, a new perspective must be followed to its logical conclusion without the preposterous rating of detractors by ad hominid evolution in place of legitimizing science to examine the new proposals. I for one do not deny the Holocaust happened and the entire scientific community had the largest hand in creating the atmosphere, which made it possible; when Science, Industry and Politics became as one. (Fascio)
Let’s take a look down that road shall we and follow this new logic? If smoking is now believed less toxic, how toxic are the constituents of the smoke; which present themselves in Pico grams and Nano grams, far below levels of the same toxins found in ambient air. How do we now differentiate the effects of one compared to another? The Tobacco Industry is already avoiding civil actions, by the failure to produce proof of which brand of cigarette caused an injury, and further what air toxins as confounders could logically result in similar damages. With the new reduced risk of smoking, compared to increased risks of ETS their case is solidified. As the risk ETS is elevated, so to will there be an elevated prominence, by such observations as the six cities study, to a degree that no one could possibly link smoking to any diseases outcome directly. Is this the intent of protagonists and politicians who declare themselves as scientists, to in effect protect the tobacco industry’s historical claims that cigarettes are not that dangerous?
Look to simple pie chart logic and understand how the public is measuring credibility;
In 1970 close to 50% of the population smoked and 60% were ever smokers. During the span between 1960 and 2005 population tripled. Cancers increased six fold and heart disease climbed along side population numbers. While the actual number of smokers remained almost consistent.
How does anyone ever hope to assign the following information as proof of smoking causation? I see no evidence proving smoking caused anything beyond systemic hysteria?
Legitimate evaluation, seems to indicate for lung cancers smoking is curative rather than causative.
In the American populace .7% of a 320 million population is 2.24 million. Now we see by a subset of that population “smoking causes 450,000 smoking related mortalities every year”. Surprisingly by evaluation to determine the effect we multiply .7% by the 20% of current smokers or 64 million and we find 448,000 almost but not quite the identical number we expect to see in total population. So is this “smoking related mortality” or “smoker related mortality” in search of a sound bite?
We go on to the always popular 80% of current lung cancer patients are ever smokers or “smoking causes 80% of lung cancers”.
We have to understand cancer does not happen overnight and the cancers we see today by the most significant group affected are those who smoked for many years and indicative of the population who started many years ago. 160,000 lung cancer deaths annually in a 320 million populace or .0005 today however the observations are skewed, because the effects today are results of lifestyles yesterday.
100 million population
60 % ever smokers 40% never smokers.
Divide a pie into 10 pieces each representing 10 million people
Smokers get 8 pieces [80%] and non smokers get 2 pieces [20%].
Take away 2 from the non smokers to represent cancers from other causes take away 3 from the smokers to reflect their 50% larger population.
What do you have left?
5 pieces and by comparison we concluded 50% will be affected by smoking and among non smokers 50% will be affected by not smoking, as represented in the two pieces they were allotted in addition to the number you took away from the smokers believed to be not caused by smoking.
As a risk you have a balance, and no conclusive evidence of increased risk despite how it originally seemed.
No one has ever resolved the largest problem with Doll’s research, so many years ago which connected smoking with cancer. When it was revealed a larger risk existed among those who claimed they did not inhale, than the smokers who claimed they did. Observation reveals at the time, smoking was fashionable and many who described themselves as smokers to gain popularity, could not smoke in the traditional sense, without choking. So they did not inhale. Proof can be seen in many of the post 1960s movies were the actors can be seen in the majority, doing a not very good imitation of smoking. When they never did really inhale smoke, how could it cause the diseases we commonly refer to as smoking related? So were the diseases really all simply “smoking related”? In retrospective studies, what was the actual smoking prevalence, long determined to cause so much harm and how much harm was assigned to the wrong side of the balance sheet? Doll never defended his failure to fully disclose this reality, in the numerous news conferences to follow, however he did fix the problem. By removing the question in further studies, to determine who actually inhaled and who did not. Politics is a matter of promotion and opinion, but is this really science or remotely scientific?
The epidemiology processes itself, by well known structural weaknesses, will always develop many contrasting figures and conclusions, as a sheer reality of randomization, confounding balances and chance. If there is a complete void of those findings, it encourages a perspective of impropriety that the process is being interfered with. Credibility and randomization is lost. By the fact people chose to start or stop smoking, or not to start at all, suggest we never truly had randomization in the post study separation, based in smoking status, this defeated the claim and the legitimacy of randomized control evaluation. Further those who have a specific disease compared to groups who are not so afflicted are also defined correctly as a non randomized trial.
Declared consensus while attacking any alternate result, opinion or even discussion as discourse, now preposterously viewed as a cultural norm in science? Tossing aside a reality by social marketing and irresponsible oration, their absolutely conflicted HIA group, created the poll counting culture deliberately, as described in the HIA process of stakeholder partnerships. Social Marketing as it was employed, by divisive policies not targeting smoking or the Tobacco industry, but the smokers themselves. To have the audacity to declare no conflicts in this social experiment is nothing short of a contemptible act.
The anti smoking movement is largely indebted, in trust and in league with conflicted Industrial interests who are profiting tremendously just as the brokers of that partnership predicted they would. They never denied it and proudly congratulate their Industrial partners openly in UN forums and at the many anti smoking conferences internationally. Industry partners represent an obligation to produce profit; not as a duty to communities, but as a duty only to their own stakeholders. Although not as well examined as the Tobacco industry, fully of the same educational standards operating procedures and community values, as any other industry executives in current communities. The problem with this continual oration of “the evil tobacco industry” described often in context as a single person on trial for decades is that society has evolved, and the current executives, would not dare to travel, where their predecessors felt comfortable in a much less restrictive world.
Chasing pseudo-dragons is a great talking point, however in real world evaluation, some of the stuck in the sixties mentalities, simply have to grow up and move on, to more current problems and perspectives. Connecting “debaters” or “dissenters” instinctively? First as advocates of “the evil industry”, and now as something as repulsive or detracted as a “Holocaust denier” is self serving, without the necessary credibility of truth or evidence. If this is a scientific discussion and not, one of theology in a dark age’s reign of superstition; this declaration is not helpful and has no place in scientific evaluation. It has become common knowledge the use of certain buzz words in internet connected documents, will increase the readership, because they attach the article to unrelated searches. Does credible science, in an age of expanded access to our knowledge base, truly wish to define its own integrity or credibility so casually?
This publication demands apology and retraction, for those who take insult by the casual ignorance expressed by self service in an outrageous connectivity, we see a failure to respect the emotional tragedy, by the memory of those who perished, or what is still experienced by those who survived them.
No comments:
Post a Comment