Here’s what you missed yesterday because of the Budget
Dear readers,
If you – like me – spent far too much time yesterday pouring over the details of the Budget, you might have missed a few other interesting headlines that slipped through the media net while everyone’s eyes were firmly focused on Alistair Darling’s eyebrows. Here is a quick summary of what else happened on Wednesday, which certainly provides some interesting points for discussion:
The Independent – Government cutbacks could wipe out 25% of charities: One in four large charities could find themselves at a “financial cliff edge” next year when public sector cuts begin to bite, according to research published by the Charity Commission. Numerous service contracts between charities and public sector bodies will end in March 2011, with devastating effects for many charities. …Research into more than 1,000 charities found that 59% have now been affected by the economic downturn, compared to just 38% in September 2008. The findings come after a study carried out last month predicted that many charities will go “bust” because of their reliance on government contracts to deliver public services. Larger charities have been hit hardest, with 79% feeling the impact of the recession and a third seeing an increase in demand for services. These charities, with incomes of more than £100,000, are also more likely to predict a decrease in income than small and medium charities, with 28% anticipating a drop in funds. The Commission’s latest Economic Survey of Charities also found that almost a quarter of the large charities consider public sector funding to be their most important source of income. Almost one in five (18%) of charities had already seen a drop in public sector grants and contracts over the past six months. More than one in four (27% ) was anticipating a fall in the next 12 months.
Oh dear, our favourite ‘fake charities’ issue is finally coming home to roost. Organisations that claim to be charities while at the same time using the taxpayer as a major source of funding are now realising how foolish this is, although I suspect that they would not agree that it is entirely inappropriate for the taxpayer to fund charities in the first place. As discussed recently on this blog, these organisations rely so heavily on the taxpayer that they are simply not worthy of the name ‘charity’. To my mind, they are little more than subcontractors.
BBC News – Doctors urge full car smoking ban: Smoking should be banned in all cars as well as in public places where young people congregate, doctors are urging. The Royal College of Physicians wants England’s imminent review of anti-smoking laws to consider such measures to protect the young. It says passive smoking results in 300,000 extra child visits to GPs in the UK every year for problems such as asthma and bacterial meningitis. But driving and smoking lobby groups say cars are a “private space”. A number of medical bodies have supported a ban on smoking in cars transporting children, but the RCP goes a significant step further, urging a blanket ban on anyone lighting up in a vehicle – regardless of whether children or indeed any other passengers are inside. It is calling for a two-pronged approach which would see children protected from second-hand smoke and shielded from the sight of adults smoking – whether in the playground or on the TV. The RCP’s report – Passive Smoking and Children – is being released ahead of the three-year review of the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces in England. Similar bans have been introduced across the UK, with Scotland having led the way. Drawing on a series of studies, the report suggests that in the UK, tens of thousands of youngsters are falling ill as a result of exposure to cigarette smoke.
Hmmm. Not sure about this. Obviously it’s a gross interference and curtailment of liberty to start dictating what people can and cannot do in their own car, but on these issues I like to consider the scientific evidence regarding the harm that could be caused. Interestingly, the RCP website contains several PowerPoints detailing what they claim are the effects of passive smoking on young children – much of which I was not aware of, as I only have a basic grasp of this issue. If there is a clear, credible scientific evidence base on passive smoking then it is worthy of discussion; if there isn’t, then it’s not. They admit that all their figures for the damage currently being caused by passive smoking are estimates, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the underlying evidence is wrong….
BBC News – UN to look at climate meat link: UN specialists are to look again at the contribution of meat production to climate change, after claims that an earlier report exaggerated the link. A 2006 report concluded meat production was responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions – more than transport. The report has been cited by people campaigning for a more vegetable-based diet, including Sir Paul McCartney. But a new analysis, presented at a major US science meeting, says the transport comparison was flawed. …Curbing meat production and consumption would be less beneficial for the climate than has been claimed, said Frank Mitloehner from the University of California at Davis. “Smarter animal farming, not less farming, will equal less heat,” he told delegates to the American Chemical Society meeting in San Francisco. “Producing less meat and milk will only mean more hunger in poor countries.” Leading figures in the climate change establishment, such as IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri and Lord Stern, have also quoted the 18% figure as a reason why people should consider eating less meat.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha *and inhale…* Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Deja vu, anyone?
Regards
A.Tory
LFAT, as I posted yesterday, not one study has been able to positively prove ’second-hand’ smoke is detrimental to health, neither is there, to my knowledge, an autopsy procedure that can determine death being due to ’second-hand’ smoke. This was made clear in Booker/North’s book Scared to Death, pages 269-270.
A statement such as “About 40 sudden infant deaths are also caused by passive smoking annually” are not backed up with any scientific evidence and the media just parrot this as fact, with no attempt to verify the claim.
But we must not forget the children……………….!
“Obviously it’s a gross interference and curtailment of liberty to start dictating what people can and cannot do in their own car, but on these issues I like to consider the scientific evidence regarding the harm that could be caused.”
Good luck with that! It’s not like they are going to listen even if there’s evidence against it.
These people are determined to have their way no matter what.
Obviously it’s a gross interference and curtailment of liberty to start dictating what people can and cannot do in their own car…
That is all there is to consider. Any harm caused to the smoker is their concern and no one else’s. Mrs L smokes. We don’t have children and never carry them in the car. Therefore, there is no harm to children and it is a gross interference and curtailment of liberties.
“They admit that all their figures for the damage currently being caused by passive smoking are estimates, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the underlying evidence is wrong….”
Ah, so it’s JUST like climate change. No evidence, just theoretical modelling. Tell you what, there’s a fantastic phrase common to faction disputes in many MMOs: ‘Proof or STFU’.
I rather think that applied before anyone gets out their Magic Ban-stick of Righteousness.
Just ignore it all. Really they will just carry on regardless as they haven’t the slightest interest in public opinion. All they care about is being able to screw more money out of the individual by making sure there are enough laws so everyone breaks one.
All the stories above are bull**** or based on bull**** scientific if’s but’s and maybe’s designed to ensure the people of this great land stay utterly confused and confused people will simply pay up when asked, forced or coerced.
I’ve given up paying the slightest attention to anything that the government, their righteous controllers, or the MSM come out with and it’s truly liberating.
You should try it.
Take a ‘long weekend’ away from all MSM and government ’sponsored’ drivel and see what changes actually happen within you.
Just switch off and live your life not the one the righteous and the government want you to.
It’s only for four days so if you don’t like it and want to go back to having you mind, body and every move they make totally controlled by other people you don’t like, need or indeed know, under pain of fine, penalty or loss of liberty then you are free to do so.
According to the RCP website Powerpoints, there is evidence but it’s only correlational through comparing children in households with and without smokers (from what I can gather).
As ever with correlations, you can never ‘prove’ anything, but one wonders if there is still some kind of link. Even if there was, I’d never advocate making it illegal to smoke around children, but a link would strongly suggest that there is at least a need to raise awareness of this issue (in a similar vein to the advice given about smoking during pregnancy – you’re an idiot if you do it, but it’s not illegal).
A correlation is not evidence of a causative relationship. A single swallow does not a summer make and all that (for those of you who can still remember what sunshine looks like).
Equally has anyone actually seen the statistics for the children of non-smokers with asthma?
Ashtma is, btw, an auto-immune condition of the lungs and not a lung disease and so is an arguable part of the ‘hygiene hypothesis’.
So following the logic of the ‘For the Chiiiiillldren Banstick’ surely we must immediately ban the use of cleaning products in the home and schools? I would add ‘hospitals’ but we know that cleaning isn’t such a problem there…
[...] Letters from a Tory picks up on some news that has been over shadowed by the budget. The proposed ban on smoking in [...]
Is it John Britton of the RCP talking or this John Britton funded by the Pharmaceutical Industry and questionable charities.
http://www.ukctcs.org/ukctcs/Staff.php
If you want to know the real TRUTH about ETS or Second Hand Smoke the read this and make up your own mind.
http://www.antibrains.com/shs.html
There NEVER was a need for a Smoking Ban
With everything that has happened in this country over the years it is time that all citizens of this country are treated with DIGNITY. NOW is the time for action. http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/dignityforall/
‘They admit that all their figures for the damage currently being caused by passive smoking are estimates’.
To all intents and purposes, they’re wildly inaccurate guesses. There is no direct evidence that passive smoking is particularly dangerous – if there were they’d be screaming it form the rooftops.
You have to understand this is simply another step along the road to prohibition. That is their goal, next it’ll be calls for bans in houses, regardless of whether children live there or not (after all they want 100% ban in cars).
I am staggered that seemingly intelligent and informed people cannot see the wider agenda. Politicians seem to be particularly susceptible to lobbying by unelected, politically motivated (social engineering) groups like the RCP and their usual mouthpiece – the fake charity ASH. These are the same people who mislead smokers about quit rates using NRT, the same people who use pharmaceutical funded research to produce skewed research results (in order to peddle more patches etc). Government figures show that successful quits after 12 months is 1.6%. Of more concern,is that smoking and smokers are being used as easy targeted scapegoats to hide the real causes of so called smoking related illnesses, not least vehicle and industrial pollution.
It doesn’t need me to point out that drinkers and fatties are the latest groups to be demonised.
Fake Charities that influence / mimic government policy for their own purposes: good riddance – I hope you all go to the wall.
Lighting up in cars: – FO. With laws like this comes enforcement and the police spending their time chasing smokers to meet targets designed to ‘prove’ efficacy of said policy rather than doing their job. Oh, and show me some evidence please.
Climate: Now familiar smell permeating from this group of individuals. I thought i’d flushed the toilet.
Maybe if we told Mossad that the Climatologists are really Hamas agents……
Davidb:
You mentioned prohibition in your reply and I found an interesting link while surfing the net. It urges all scientists to sign the ” Brussels Declaration on Scientific Integrity”
Link:- http://www.brusselsdeclaration.org/pages/brussels_declaration/
I wonder how many of the ” Scientists and Doctors ” who carry out the ” studies on smoking” have signed this declaration, maybe they should be asked the question. As an afterthought, maybe politicians should be asked to sign it as an indication that their decision making will be based solely on the truth.
Competing interests of UKCTCS staff
John Britton chairs the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group and is a member of the board of trustees of Action on Smoking and Health
Peter Hajek undertakes consultancy for and has received research funds from a number of companies developing and manufacturing smoking cessation products.
Paul Aveyard has accepted hospitality from the pharmaceutical industry. He has done consultancy and research work in smoking cessation for Pfizer, McNeil, and Xenova Biotechnology that has led to payments to him and his research account.
Linda Bauld is vice-chair of the Cancer Research UK Tobacco Advisory Group and serves as Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health on tobacco control.
Tim Coleman has, within the last 5 years, done occasional consultancy work for companies that manufacture NRT products (Johnson and Johnson, Pierre Fabre Laboratories). He has also advised a Public Relations company on the strength of the evidence for using Nicobloc as an aid for smoking cessation.
Robert West undertakes research and consultancy for companies that develop and manufacture smoking cessation medications. He has a share of a patent for a novel nicotine delivery device. He is a trustee of QUIT. His research is funded mostly by Cancer Research UK.
THIS TELLS IT ALL.
http://www.ukctcs.org/ukctcs/competing_interests.php
Eddie – McNeil is J&J too..
@ Eddie d
It’s always dirty when drug dealers fight, whether its Acid dealers in 90s London outside a nightclub or Heroin dealers shooting eachother in Kentish Town…
Perhaps I have an anecdote that best supports this:
I once attended a hemp & cannabis product trade fair in Bern, Switzerland. At the same time, in my 4* hotel with mountain views (not that rare in Bern!) was a Pfizer conference focussing on, yes, Viagra.
In the hotel bar, there were a large collection of Hell’s Angels, proper 40-something hairy bikers who were dead nice but blatantly looked like they could break you in half if you crossed them. A colleague of mine identified some of them as senior chapter (franchise) heads across Europe.
Now, who thinks they were there for the weed? WRONG!
The evenings in said bar were largely spent with the Angels running extensive bartabs and hookers for the Pfizer fellas, perhaps speaking to the ageing biker demographic but there you are. Now these guys DEFINITELY kill people who deal drugs on their turf without paid-for permission (the bikers, not Pfizer, altho…). So my point is that there is a much smaller gap between ‘Organised Crime’ and Big Pharma than, I’d suggest, you feel comfortable with.
Since the Tobacco companies are demonstrably gangsters, that Drug Co.s who are clearly au fait with the world of street drug peddling should be able to give them a run for their money should surprise no-one.
But as in the Coke Cartel wars in Mexico, as innocent bystanders, the British Public is having to take cover.
I should perhaps add that I have seen the former with my own eyes and heard the latter with my own ears before the Police arrived to contain!
Bloody hell. I got out for two afternoon meetings and come back to find accusations of skullduggery, corruption and fraud.
Just another day under a Labour government, I suppose.
*sigh*
LFAT,
Corruption, fraud – read on.
Drug Company Fraud Cases-20 Years of Fraud Cases
Avotek in Canada: Partnered research with Canadian University of Toronto-and wanted to sue an Internist Nancy Olivieri of the Hospital for Sick Children when she claimed the drug Apotex was ineffective and possibly dangerous.
Apotex still remains the biggest drug maker in Canada for generic drugs, and thru its charity foundation Apotex foundation -no one will prosecute them. Olivieri had to resign her position Oct. 27, 1998 Toronto Star Newspaper.
The CEO Michael Strofolino threatened to Nancy Olivieri her if she made the information public and a smear campaign was launched against Olivieri. Here is a case of a whistle blower who was being condemned and the scientific community backed the drug company, she has been harassed with threatening phone calls and her name was blackened.
Baxter Drugs-subsidiary of Baxter Caremark 1992 -criminal conduct med partners fraud, involved in AIDS/Haemophiliac scare, 161 million deaths by dialysis scare. Baxter continued to sell potential AID’s Contaminated clotting factors after the problem was discovered in 1984. Baxter drug was contracted to make the Swine Flu Vaccine and applied for the patent 1 year before the Swine outbreak.
Dey Inc-charged with health care fraud in Medicaid 2003 along with Pharma Benefits Managers partnerships with Merck and Medco Managed Care -profit taking between pharmas and HMO’s, hospitals and doctors -major fraud case.
Merck was investigated for high price fixing, kickbacks between drug makers and PMB’s- Pharmacy Benefit Mangers -the middle man.
Roche Drug Company was charged with global price fixing, guilty of fraud, 1997-collusive trading citric acid In vitamin trade-class action lawsuits globally.
Glaxosmithkline: charged with withholding heart attack side effects of Avandia just one week ago.
Glaxosmithkline: charged with fraud of Paxil Marketing-withholding crucial data.
Wyeth Drugs: charged with hiding the side effect of breast cancer of their drug Premarin, and Prempro charged with hiding the side effects of their hormone replacement drugs are still fighting lawsuits from women who got breast cancer from Wyeth’s fraud and criminal activity with HRT drugs. Wyeth was bought out by Pfizer that continues to fight breast cancer patients who took their drug unknowingly growing breast cancer in their bodies. Wyeth knew of the danger and hid the facts in their advertising and promotion of Prempro and Premarin an estrogen derived from horses urine and progesterone which turned out to be an experiment that grew cancer in women.
Pfizer-defrauding Medicare in Australia-paid fine, price fixing internationally.
British Drug Companies
Goldshield Group
Kent Pharmaceuticals
Norton Healthcare
Generics UK
Ranbaxy UK all charged with fraud, conspiracy to defraud and price fixing-criminal charges-all released with fines between 1996 and 2000
Mylan -price fixing raising prices 3000 percent, lorzapam, Ativan, Tranzene-1998.
Merck-Germany-price fixing on vitamin C-fined in 2000
Merck- defrauding Medicaid-selling pills to Medicaid for 1.65 each, while hospitals paid 10 cents each. 18.5 million in fines in Texas.
There is more at:-
http://www.politicolnews.com/drug-company-fraud-20-years/
It is quite clear from the posts above ( and supporting links) that questions must be raised ( and investigated by an independent body or even a public inquiry ) and action taken to examine the following areas relating to the introduction of legislation relating to smoking.
1.EXAMINE STUDIES SUPPORTING SUCH LEGISLATION,THEIR SCIENTIFIC CONTENT AND CONCLUSIONS.
2.THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDING OF SUCH STUDIES
3.THE COMPETING INTERESTS OF ALL INVOLVED IN THE STUDIES.
4. A DETAILED LIST OF ALL RESEARCH CARRIED OUT BY INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE STUDIES AND THE SOURCE OF FUNDING SHOULD BE PRODUCED.
5.DETAILS OF ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN SUCH RESEARCH AND ANY CONNECTION OR POSITION THEY HOLD IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, COMMITTEES, CHARITIES, PUBLICLY FUNDED BODIES ( WHETHER INTERNATIONAL, EU OR UK ).
6.ALL STUDIES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF A FEE TO ” JOURNALS ” ETC.
7.THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANTI-SMOKING LOBBY GROUPS IN THE PREPARATION OF LEGISLATION.
AND FINALLY
8. THAT WHILE SUCH AN ENQUIRY IS BEING UNDERTAKEN, THE LEGISLATION RELATING TO SMOKING BANS IS REPEALED IMMEDIATELY.
RADICAL ACTION – YES , BUT JUSTIFIED TO UPHOLD SCIENTIFIC
INTEGRITY AND THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS OF POLITICIANS.
John Britton refused to sign:
(from Eddie D’s post)
John Britton chairs the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group and is a member of the board of trustees of Action on Smoking and Health chairs the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group and is a member of the board of trustees of Action on Smoking and Health’
I don’t have the time and resources to answer all the various claims made on this particular aspect of the smoking ban issue, but before you simply accept that the pro-banners are telling the truth with all their fancy presentations I’d suggest you take a few minutes to read the “New Stiletto” freely available at
http://kuneman.smokersclub.com/PASAN/StilettoGenv5h.pdf
The Stiletto specifically examines a number of the major claims and studies cited by antismoking advocates while they are pushing generalized smoking bans through city councils and state legislatures. You’ll be amazed at how much of what they say is based on lies.
Michael J. McFadden,
Author of “Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains
THE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE NDS WERE INVOLVED IN PUBLICISING THE RCP STUDY,THE FIRST PART SHOWS HOW I FOUND IT,
How I found this :-
NDS search page: keyed in “ smoking and found this:- http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=412536&SubjectId=4
Then followed link at “ Notes to Editors 2.
I have just had a quick look at “ Notes to Editors 5. “ and what they are saying about SHS needs close examination. http://www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/whysmokefree/health-benefits.html
*****************************
NOW TO THE RCP SITE AND THE FOLLOWING POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS
TOOK PLACE ON 12 MARCH 2010
2010: ‘Passive smoking and children’ report
In March 2010, the Tobacco Advisory Group of the RCP launches a major new report entitled ‘Passive smoking and children’. This report outlines how children are particularly vulnerable to passive smoke exposure, most of which occurs in the home. About 2 million children currently live in a household where they are exposed to cigarette smoke and many more are exposed outside the home.
Using evidence-based studies and additional analysis, funded by Cancer Research UK and carried out by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, the report contains alarming new estimates for key measures of health damage attributable to passive smoking, which for children each year causes:
Over 20,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infection
120,000 cases of middle ear disease
At least 22,000 new cases of wheeze and asthma
200 cases of bacterial meningitis
40 sudden infant deaths – one in five of all SIDs
Further information
View the RCP press statement on ‘Passive smoking and children’
Read the conclusions and recommendations from the report (PDF 829Kb )
YOU MUST LOOK AT THESE PRESENTATIONS BY TOBACCO CONTROL ZEALOTS
The following slide set provides an overview of the report, outlines of key chapters and their conclusions and the report’s position in the wider society smokefree agenda.
The wider smokefree agenda – Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive Action on Smoking and Health (Powerpoint 1.0Mb )
Smokefree legislation in the UK – Sally Haw, Senior Scientific Adviser, Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, Edinburgh (Powerpoint 210Kb )
Children’s exposure to passive smoke – Anna Gilmore, Reader in Public Health, University of Bath (Powerpoint 140Kb )
Effects of passive smoking on the foetus – Allan Hackshaw, Deputy Director, CRUK, and UCL London Cancer Trials Centre (Powerpoint 810Kb )
Passive smoking and its effects on children and the effect of parent and sibling smoking – Jo Leonardi-Bee, Lecturer in Medical Statistics, University of Nottingham (Powerpoint 156Kb )
How much disease in children is caused by passive smoking? – Richard Hubbard, University of Nottingham (Powerpoint 498Kb )
Economic costs of passive smoking in children – Steve Parrott, Research Fellow, Department of Health Sciences, University of York (Powerpoint 137Kb )
Public opinion – Martin Dockrell, Director of Research and Policy, Action on Smoking and Health (Powerpoint 675Kb )
Ethics surrounding children and passive smoking – Richard Ashcroft, Professor of Bioethics, Queen Mary, University of London (Powerpoint 103Kb )
Strategies for reducing passive smoking in children – Laura Jones, Research Fellow, UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, University of Nottingham (Powerpoint 205Kb )
Conclusions and recommendations – Professor John Britton, Chair of the RCP Tobacco Advisory Group and Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco Studies (Powerpoint 157Kb )
http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/professional-Issues/Public-Health/Pages/Tobacco.aspx
I reported earlier of the ” Competing Interests ” of the
United Kingdom Centre for Tobacco Control Studies(UKCTCS)
but now it comes to light that the ORDINARY GP gets his cut
of the TAXPAYERS money as well.
HERE WE GO:-
APPENDIX 2 Page 7(h)
” GPs and Pharmacies are reimbursed for service delivery (inflation still to be applied for 09-10):
£10.50 for each client setting a quit date.
£40 for each client still quit at 4-week follow-up
£10.50 for each client not quit at 4-week follow-up. No additional payment for those not followed up at 4 weeks.
Pharmacies only – £3 per supply of NRT. ”
http://www.warwickshire.nhs.uk/trustboardenclosures/march09/Enc%2016%20Tobacco%20Control%20and%20Smoking%20Cessation%20Board%20Report%20-%20March%202009.pdf
” Oh what a tangled web we weave,
when first we practice to deceive”
LBT
I hope you are well. Want a conspiracy try this one in a letter ASH wrote to Glaxo SmithKline who manufacture nicotine replacement products. You will note I downloaded it form ASH’s website.
“ASH has worked closely with both Glaxo and SmithKline Beecham staff and always welcomed the active collaboration. I hope to continue this with the merged company. We have worked with GSK under the auspices of the WHO-Europe Partnership Project on tobacco dependence and at various one-off opportunities. ASH was instrumental in securing greater government commitment to smoking cessation products in the NHS National Plan and we have helped with PR for both Zyban and Niquitin CQ. Our involvement with GSK staff has, I believe, been mutually beneficial, and we have gained from exposure to the company’s arguments and insights…
“ASH has a small shareholding in GSK and I will be attending with others to question you and the Chairman on this situation.”
http://old.ash.org.uk/html/conduct/pdfs/garnier.pdf
DELEGATES LISTS for the UK National Smoking Cessation Conferences 2005-2010.
The 2010 Conference list is still open for registration and will be held in Glasgow in June.
Big Pharma, PCTs,NHS Uncle Tom Cobley and all are on the lists.
Recognise any names?
2010 Delegates 275 ( Registered so far )
http://www.uknscc.org/2010_UKNSCC/delegate_list/delegate_list.html
2009 Delegates 846
http://www.uknscc.org/2009_UKNSCC/delegate_list/delegate_list.html
2008 Delegates 759
http://www.uknscc.org/2008_UKNSCC/delegate_list/delegate_list.html
2007 Delegates 603
http://www.uknscc.org/2007_UKNSCC/delegates.html
2006 Delegates 523
http://www.uknscc.org/2006_UKNSCC/delegates.html
2005 Delegates 585
http://www.uknscc.org/2005_UKNSCC/delegates.html
John Britton blames asthma onto passive smoking, but admits that asthma is on the increase, despite the decline in smoking and he doesn’t know why.
I don’t have the exact figures at hand, but I believe that in America at least childhood asthma rates have gone up roughly 300% in the last 20 years or so while measured “exposure to secondhand smoke” among children has gone down about 300%.
You’ll notice that ASH et al have never done a formal study on this inverse correlation – the results wouldn’t fit very well with their claims, eh?
Michael J. McFadden
Author of “Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains”
Michael. It’s about the same in the UK. While smoking has halved, asthma has increased by at least 300%.
Score one for the hygiene hypothesis?
While not answering all the various details and arguments that can be brought up about smoking in a car with children, I can comment on a few things.
1) A trick often used by Antismokers in this area is to pay ridiculous amounts of attention to momentary maximum readings by air monitors that occur when a wisp of concentrated smoke happens to blow past the sensing nipple. Of course such readings have very little to do with general air conditions that someone would be breathing constantly for 24 hours a day but that is what they are compared to.
2) A measurement that is often used in these studies involves FPM 2.5, a measurement of air particles 2.5 microns or less in size. During episodes of hazardous air pollution when the air is filled with all sorts of noxious and dangerous chemicals from cars and incinerators and industry the FPM readings go up. The Antismokers pretend that such industrial FPM is the same as the FPM generated by the quiet burning of a few leaves in a thin piece of paper. They are NOT the same thing at all: it is almost like taking a teaspoon of sugar crystals and declaring they are just as deadly as a teaspoon of arsenic crystals simply because they are the same size.
3) They make no attempt at calculating the increased risk of road accidents as you end up with crazy people trying to tail “guilty” smokers while calling in police reports on their cell phones about parents “murdering” their children, or even simply having those same nuts attempting to drive up next to the smoking cars to try to yell at them that they are breaking the law. While there may not be a lot of people that nuts out there even a few of them would result in multiple incidents of REAL danger on the road.
- MJM
Ihr 39mins 13Secs into the recording.
John Britton exposed etc.
http://www.spiderednews.com/GeorgeGalloway.htm?vid=2448065