Email
Password
(Forgot Password?)
In June 2006, the Surgeon General of the United States published a landmark report that concluded that secondhand smoke causes death and disease in non-smoking children and adults and that there is no safe level of its exposure. Until this report was published, many people refused to believe that secondhand smoke was dangerous. The surgeon general removed all doubt when he said, “The debate is over. The science is clear. Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance but a serious health hazard.” . . .
Clearly, secondhand smoke is no longer something that people can shrug off. It’s been classified as a class A carcinogen by the California EPA, and new research is constantly being published about how smoke-free laws protect public health and save lives. It’s time that Wyoming recognizes the severity of secondhand smoke and takes steps to eliminate secondhand smoke exposure in public places for the well-being of everyone.
Jump to full article »
They came to the Harvard Club the other day, to sit beneath the three great chandeliers in the great room off Commonwealth Avenue to remember a great man: Julie Richmond.
Dr. Julius B. Richmond, who died last July, lived 91 years because he had so much to do. And if he had lived another 91, he still wouldn't have had enough time.
All those neighborhood health clinics, in places like Southie, Roxbury, and Dorchester, in places like Mound Bayou, Miss., the ones that help people who don't have any money, they exist because of Julie Richmond.
The 25 million poor kids who got their bodies and minds fed over the last 40 years through something called Head Start did so because of Julie Richmond.
He was more than this nation's surgeon general, more than a gentle doctor, more than a fierce intellect, more than a distinguished professor. He was a mensch, and countless Americans are better off because of him.
Federal Judge Gladys Kessler blatantly ignored the rules of toxicology and epidemiology published in the Federal Judicial Center's Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence (2nd Edition) in her decision . . .
Judge Kessler is a graduate of Cornell, then Harvard, who went to work as a labor and public interest lawyer and legislative aid for Democrat politicians in Congress and the Senate. . . .
Judge Kessler's decision in the 6 year long Racketeering case brought by the Federal Department of Justice against the tobacco industry tobacco case is an example of the grand overreach and tyrannical approach that characterizes activist judges when they have an American industry in their gun sights and a quasi-religious grudge. . . .
Judge Kessler ignored the insightful opinion of Judge William Osteen in 1998 that nullified the EPA's research on second hand smoke as scientific misconduct. . . .
Judge Kessler in contravention of the Osteen opinion, ruled:
* The tobacco companies were guilty of racketeering under the criminal code for asserting that secondhand smoke and low tar and nicotine cigarettes have less toxic effects on human health. . . .
Judge Kessler refused to allow the defendant tobacco companies at trial to show the clear-cut evidence that secondhand smoke even in the worst of circumstances is the equivalent of one cigarette a day and that no research has ever shown a health effect from such a low exposure. Even worse, in making her sweeping decision, Judge Kessler has decided to criminalize research that she disagrees with and advocacy by or for people of whom she disapproves.
The Court received arguments and pleadings in the case filed by the United States that branded as a criminal conspiracy the writings of columnists, researchers, and scientists who disagreed with the claims of anti-smoking activists. Epidemiologists whose research was published in peer reviewed journals and who found results that conflicted with the EPA position were implicated as conspirators by the Kafkaesque opinion of Judge Kessler. . . .
One might ask if Judge Kessler includes Judge Osteen as complicit
We at the Hawaii Smokers Alliance have filed a formal complaint with the Office of Research Integrity, US Department of Health and Human Services against the misleading statements and reporting of conclusions held in the Surgeon General's 2006 ETS/SHS report citing "No risk-free level of exposure to SHS/ETS".
We are committed to holding those who have chosen to misinform or misrepresent information to the general public accountable for such reckless and egregious behavior. . . .
The following is the complaint as filed. . . .
Several of his comments by the Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service appear to have made up the conclusions and results of his report when he reported those results to the public.
We also note that the press release beings with, “U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona today issued a comprehensive scientific report which concludes that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.” Clearly, the conclusions of the 2006 Surgeon General’s report are a far cry from this dramatic statement, which means that the Surgeon General misreported the actual conclusions to the public. . . .
We also reiterate the words of Dr. Michael Seigel[6]:
The rest of the story, then, is that the Surgeon General's misrepresentation of the scientific evidence regarding secondhand smoke in his own report has led to a gross distortion of the science to the public. This has occurred almost a year and a half following the release of the initial report. And it is likely to continue to occur.
In June, 2006, then Surgeon General Carmona released his report titled "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke". Since that date, his report has drawn criticism from Scientists and Epidemiologists worldwide.
Four separate groups have filed complaints with the Office of Research Integrity, Health and Human Services against Ex-Surgeon General Carmona's 2006 Report.
Opponents of Ohio Bans filed a complaint against the scientific misconduct (manipulation of research) of the economic assessment/impact of smoking bans. According to Carmona's report, smokefree policies do not harm business. Two thirds of the studies in Carmona's report were either authored or co-authored by Stanton Glantz, Director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, who is not an economist. He and his university have profited heavily by anti-tobacco funding and grants. Absolutely no studies or reports conducted by economists or trade organizations were cited in Carmona's report, although many sources were available at the time.
For example, the highly regarded Deloitte and Touche reported a study for the National Restaurant Association study (2004), the Ridgeway Economic Associates New York Nightlife Association/Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association Study (05/12/2004) . . .
Dr. Michael Siegel is a prominent doctor specializing in Preventative Medicine and Public Health. . . .
Other articles such as "Science and Secondhand Smoke: the Need for a Good Puff of Skepticism" by Sidney Zion (Skeptic, Volume 13, Number 3, 2007), "Where's the Consensus on Second Hand Smoke?" by Joseph Bast of Heartland Institute, and "Did Carmona Read His Own Report?" by Jacob Scullum with Reason Magazine 06/29/2006 http://www.reason.com/blog/show/114497.html are but a small representation of the articles that give a glimpse of how damaging the epidemic of anti-smoking is.
1878: Eighty-six years before the U.S. surgeon general issues a report confirming the dangers of smoking tobacco, a letter from English physician Charles R. Drysdale condemning its use appears in The Times of London.
Drysdale, the senior physician to the Metropolitan Free Hospital in London, had already published a book on the subject, Tobacco and the Diseases It Produces, when he wrote the letter that described smoking as "the most evident of all the retrograde influences of our time."
Drysdale had been on an anti-smoking crusade since at least 1864, the year he published a study documenting the effects on young men of consuming ¾ ounce of tobacco daily. That study reported cases of jaundice, and at least one subject having "most distressing palpitations of the heart." . . .
He also warned against exposure to second-hand smoke: "Women who wait in public bar-rooms and smoking-saloons, though not themselves smoking, cannot avoid the poisoning caused by inhaling smoke continually. Surely gallantry, if not common honesty, should suggest the practical inference from this fact." . . .
Though physicians and scientists understood there were numerous health hazards associated with the practice, the number of smokers increased dramatically in the first half of the 20th century. Thank you, Madison Avenue. Thank you, Hollywood.
The turning point probably came in 1957, when then-Surgeon General Leroy Burney reported a causal link between smoking and lung cancer. It was left to Burney's successor, Luther Terry, to lower the boom. . .
And to think it only took 86 years.
The Senate wants a total ban, while the House is prepared to accept some key exemptions like cigar bars, smoke shops and other logical places. If the House can't get its version through, it will fall back on the Senate version, and we will have a total smoking ban by the end of this current session.
There are some 85 members of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association in Michigan who may well be put out of business with such a total ban.
They are, for the most part, mom-and-pop businesses that sell premium cigars to their adult friends and neighbors. They are pillars of the communities they serve, they provide thousands of jobs and pay millions of dollars annually in payroll, sales and excise taxes.
Unfortunately, Michigan legislators and the general public are being deceived by the well-funded anti-smoking organizations into believing what they hear about second-hand smoke.
They need to read the 2006 Surgeon General's report, which clearly concludes that second-hand smoke should not be considered a legitimate health or environmental hazard. The report states no less than 108 times on its 707 pages that the evidence is inconclusive regarding the health aspects of second-hand smoke.
Even the Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn't regard second-hand smoke an environment hazard.
According to Chris McCalla, legislative director of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, his organization has learned that the Michigan state legislature will likely reopen debate on a proposed statewide smoking ban based on allegedly erroneous information provided by well-funded anti-smoking forces.
Michigan's State Representatives and Senators have been deadlocked on a proposal for several months with each preferring their own version of such a ban. McCalla believes the two chambers are working to approve a statewide smoking ban by the end of this current session.
"IPCPR members are owners and employees of neighborhood smoke shops across Michigan, throughout the United States and the world where premium, handmade cigars are sold to adult consumers," said McCalla. "Their customers are friends and neighbors who enjoy the pleasures of a good cigar... and they are voters," he added.
McCalla noted that most cigar stores are family-owned small businesses led by mom-and-pop operators who are pillars of the communities they serve, providing thousands of jobs and paying millions of dollars annually in payroll, sales and excise taxes.
According to McCalla, Michigan legislators and the general public are being deceived by the well-funded anti-smoking organizations into believing what they hear about second-hand smoke.
"They need to read the 2006 Surgeon General's Report which clearly concludes that second-hand smoke should not be considered a legitimate health or environmental hazard. Biased media reports, slanted statements by anti-tobacco groups and even deliberately erroneous press releases from the Surgeon General's office contradict the actual findings of the Report," he said.
In response to your April 10 editorial titled “Misplaced priorities,” I ask that you read the Surgeon General’s latest report on secondhand smoke. I was privileged to watch him live when he discussed his report.
For those who have any doubts at all that secondhand smoke is harmful to everyone's health, including the smoker, our Surgeon General Richard Carmona said that “the debate is over” and “the scientific evidence indicates that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke.” . . .
You are misinforming your readers by stating that “in Pasadena, regulations against smoking are already some of the strictest in California.” On the contrary, Pasadena has a lot of catching up to do where indoor and outdoor air is concerned, compared with other cities. For instance, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica protect their outdoor diners, whereas we do not.
‘There may be more famous surgeons general, but there was none more dedicated, tenacious or courageous’
Julius Richmond, who has died aged 91, was the US surgeon general who first warned the Carter administration that cigarette smoking was “slow-motion suicide”.
A pioneer of a vigorous anti-smoking campaign, he produced a report three decades ago citing “overwhelming proof” that tobacco causes lung cancer. . . .
Richmond’s 1979 report on the health risks of smoking persuaded congress to require new labels on cigarette packets stating “Surgeon General’s Warning” and outlining specific health risks related to smoking. He formally retired in 1988 but continued to research and write about the effects of smoking and he served as a key witness in legal actions against the tobacco industry. “We are in the midst of the largest man-made epidemic in history,” he declared.
General Julius B. Richmond, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician and pioneer in child development and anti-tobacco education, died Sunday, July 27, 2008, of cancer at his home near Boston. He was 91.
Dr. Richmond served as President Carter's Assistant Secretary for Health and as U.S. Surgeon General from 1977 to 1981. As Surgeon General, Dr. Richmond reinvigorated tobacco control efforts through the release of the 1979 Surgeon General's Report presenting for the first time overwhelming scientific evidence of the multiple harmful effects of smoking. The American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence - a program dedicated to eliminating children's exposure to tobacco and secondhand smoke - is named in honor of Dr. Richmond's lifelong commitment to the health of children and families.
"Dr. Richmond was one of the giants in our field," . . .
Although he officially retired in 1988, Dr. Richmond continued to teach, write and mentor students and colleagues. He served as an expert witness in several historic class-action litigations against the tobacco industry and served as founding chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (FAMRI). FAMRI, a not-for-profit medical research foundation, was established as a result of a class action suit brought against the tobacco industry on behalf of flight attendants exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke in airline cabins.
Dr. Julius Richmond, the pediatrician who helped create Project Head Start and later, as surgeon general, issued a 1979 report on the health risks of smoking that led to more informative warning labels on cigarette packs, died of cancer Sunday at his home near Boston. He was 91.
"Dr. Richmond was one of the giants in our field," said Dr. Renee R. Jenkins, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "He was a wonderful role model for pediatric leaders in the U.S. and throughout the world." . . .
He formally retired in 1988 but continued to teach, write and do research. He also served as an expert witness in several class-action suits against the tobacco industry, including one by flight attendants.
"We are in the midst of the largest man-made epidemic in history, and that is lung cancer," he later said.
Word just arrived that Julius B. Richmond, 91, the first director of Head Start and former U.S. Surgeon General who fought a career-long battle against cigarette smoking, died Sunday at his home in Brookline, Mass. He had cancer.
He was someone who had a big impact on public health in the U.S., especially in latter part of 20th century. We've started a full obit of him which I'll have late today. One interesting tidbit until then: at the announcement of his appointment as Surgeon General, here's what the Post reported:
One in eight babies - well over half a million a year - are born premature, a toll that's risen steadily for two decades with no sign of stopping.
The government this week begins an unprecedented push to figure out why, with special aim at preterm births that may be lowered: so-called late preemies, those born weeks, not months, early.
"The average woman should be thinking about this," says acting Surgeon General Steven Galson, who opened a two-day conference Monday on developing a national strategy to prevent premature birth. "We really need to redouble our efforts." . . .
Smoking and lack of prenatal care are the top preventable risks. To push health authorities to address those, the March of Dimes this fall will begin publicly grading states on their rates of preterm birth, pregnant women's access to smoking cessation programs, how many are uninsured and how many get a first-trimester ultrasound.
On Nov. 7, 2006, Ohio voters passed Issue 5, Ohio's smoking ban, which included exemptions for private clubs and family-owned businesses. Over a year later, no private clubs are exempt and no family-owned businesses are exempt as far as we know. Ohio citizens have serious concerns about Issue 5 and an apparent concerted effort by special-interests to mislead Ohio voters. . . .
Explanation and Argument for Issue 5 -- Surgeon General Carmona's Report: Those who could access the Secretary of State's website saw five bullet items in the Explanation and Argument for Issue 5 from the U.S. Surgeon General's Report. After the five bullet items, it then summarized "For these reasons...urge a YES vote on Issue 5." The fact is Issue 5 was based solely on Surgeon General Carmona's report. Issue 5 petition language was certified April 2005. The Surgeon General's Report wasn't issued until June 2006. FORCES, Inc., a non-profit educational corporation dedicated to scientific research integrity, has filed a complaint with the Health and Human Services, Office of Research Integrity against Surgeon General Carmona's report. . . .
Although Opponents of Ohio Bans believes that all private business owners should be allowed to make their own policies on smoking, several Ohio Senators have seen the devastating damage to family-owned businesses and private clubs and agree that at least they should be spared from this all too restrictive law. Senator Robert Schuler-R has introduced SB 346 to again exempt private clubs and family-owned businesses, as the law passed in November, 2006 stated by clearly defining "family-owned business." The bill is co-sponsored by 12 other senators.