Sometimes actual science is refreshing..

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • velinn
    Member
    • Jun 2008
    • 39

    Sometimes actual science is refreshing..

    Have you guys seen this site?
    http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org

    And in particular
    http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org/...ctsofst.htm#30

    Lots of good information about the benefits of oral tobacco as compared to smoking. One thing they point out, whch I think is brilliant, is that oral cancer is _extremely_ rare. Lung cancer is _very_ common. So even IF using dip or snus DOUBLES your chances of oral cancer, it would be like doubling your risk of being hit by lightning as compared to doubling your risk of getting in a car crash with smoking. Clearly going the lightning route is far safer. The use of the term "doubles your risk" is extremely misleading and only is used to scare people. This is very enlightening.

    In keeping with the excellent analogies they use on the site, another good way to think of it is seatbelts. Is wearing a seatbelt safer than driving drunk? Of course. But is it 100% safe? Not at all -- any time you use a vehicle there is a risk. But clearly we can understand that using a seatbelt is _significantly_ safer than not using one. So why wouldn't this same mentality of harm reduction not by applied to using tobacco? Yes, there is some risk, but oral tobacco _significantly_ reduces it.

    You know, sometimes it's really nice to read things that are actually based on science (you know -- studies, empirical data, health statistics, etc) instead of hysterical political anti-tobacco fanatics.
  • squeezyjohn
    Member
    • Jan 2008
    • 2497

    #2
    Well, whether the content of this article is correct or not - it's certainly not written as a proper scientific document!

    I would have to check out all the references cited on the site to be sure of any "facts" contained within the article (which I have neither the time nor the inclination to do) - a proper scientific document would direct me to the source of each individual statistic so I could check them out as I read through if necessary.

    Aside from that, the chatty nature of the document along with the strong opinion obviously held by the writer(s) makes me very wary of taking the information at face value. Although (as a can a day snus user) it may be comforting for me to read that it's harmless - I suspect I could read a similar document on the internet to back up any view I held if I looked hard enough ... regardless of whether my view was right or wrong.

    I have a biological research sciences degree - and if I submitted something like that during my studies I would have been told in no uncertain terms to go back and do it again!

    Cheers

    Squeezy

    PS - the one redeeming feature is the one concentrated on by Velinn - the ability to put statistics in to perspective. Something we should all try and do on a daily basis when we're fed them 24/7 by people voicing an opinion rather than telling us facts.
    Squeezyjohn

    Sometimes wrong and sometimes right .... but ALWAYS certain!!!

    Comment

    • velinn
      Member
      • Jun 2008
      • 39

      #3
      Well, the second link is from the FAQ. It's "chatty" on purpose, as a quick synopsis of their understanding of the data. This site is maintained by a research group at the University of Alberta. They do have more technical sections as well.

      Bibliography and References
      http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org/bibliography.htm

      Research and Essays
      http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org/papers.htm

      Responses to Popular Misinformation
      http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org/...e/response.htm

      Comment

      Related Topics

      Collapse

      Working...
      X