-Caveat Lector-
On 28 Jul 99, , Kris wrote:
> -Caveat Lector-
>
> from:
> http://www.lcolby.com/b-chap6.htm
> <A HREF="http://www.lcolby.com/b-chap6.htm">"In Defence of Smokers", by
> Lauren A. Colby / C </A>
> -----
> The whole book is online.
> Om
> K
> -----
> IN DEFENSE OF SMOKERS
> © 1999, Lauren A. Colby. Version 2.3Chapter 6: The Propaganda Machine
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Chapter 6: The Propaganda Machine
>
>
>
> Beginning in the early 1950's, the American Cancer Society started to
> wage war against smoking. Later, the government took up the cudgel and,
> today, there is a government agency, the Office of Smoking and Health,
> dedicated to stamping out smoking. Unfortunately, the government
> propaganda is often predicated upon assertions which are simply untrue.
> In many instances, these are examples of the "LaLonde effect".
The whole anti-smoking campaign has always seemed to me an enormous
boondoggle. What with all the carcinogenic pesticides in our air and water and on our
food, not to mention toxic emissions from all the vehicles that traverse the country
and
jam city streets, how the medical industry can tell which respiratory illnesses came
from tobacco and which from all the other toxic pollutants in our environment has
always been a mystery to me.
The effect of the anti-smoking campaign has mostly been $$$$--all going to lawyers
who are making a fortune from those who continue to smoke and now pay up to $3.50
a pack or $35 a carton for cigarettes, at least a third of this "taxes."
In fact, it is an outrageous swindle. While I do not doubt that smoking causes some
illnesses and some fatalities, the warnings on the packages have been loud and clear
for years and years, putting the responsibility in smokers hands..
What I want to see now is "victims" suing the liquor industry when accidents are
caused by drivers who have had a drink or two...or families are devastated by
alcoholism. Not something I expect to see in my lifetime.
Some years ago, the New York Times ran a short article naming at least six kinds of
cancer that smoking helped prevent. Wish I still had that article.
Also, it might be interesting to know what the particular gripe was against Phillip
Morris, who seemed especially generous and active in supporting and promoting
philantrhopic and cultural actiivities.
It would also be interesting to see a truly responsible study of any decline in teenage
smoking and its relation to other drug use. I would expect to see any decline in teen
smoking accompanied by a rise in the use of other drugs including marijuana and hard
drugs, since some part of smoking is connected to tension release. Curiously, I think
nicotine is the only "drug" that generally increases alertness and does not impair
motor function, while all the others seem to cause some degree of "impairment" and
involve serious "anti-social" behavior to procure--behavior which can have extremely
serious and more immediate consequences than death at 80 from respiratory illness.
sno0wl
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