Embed Doc
Copy Link
Readcast
Collections

CommentGo Back

Download

p 01Smoke, Lies and the Nanny State

SMOKE, LIES AND THE NANNY STATE

ForthousandsoyearsintheAmericas,andabout500yearsprettymucheverywhereelse,tobaccohasbeenariendtomankind.Ithasbeenusedtorelax,tostimulate,andtotreatvariousailments.Ithasbeenavitalpartoritualsbothsocialandspiritual.Ithasbeenusedascurrency.Wholecommunitieshavebeenoundedonit-including,arguably,theUnitedStatesoAmerica.Waitaminute.Scratchthat!Smokingisavile,lthyhabitthatwillalmostinevitablykillyou.Noonesmokeswillingly;theyaresimplypatheticaddicts,dupedbyeviltobaccocompanies.Tobaccoisaplaguewhichmustbewipedout.Likemostpeoplethesedays,Iwasmoreinclined,upuntilaewyearsago,tobelievethesecondparagraphthantherst.Iwasaverymoderatesmokerandalmostgaveup.Butsomethingaboutthesheerhysteriaotheantismokingmovement,andthevariousholesandcontradictionsintheirarguments,mademesuspicious.Sometimeinthelate1990sIarrivedinLosAngelesand,asmytaxipulledoutotheairport,Iwasconrontedbyahugeredbillboard:SECONDHANDSMOKEKILLS.Ithought:evenheavysmokerstakeseveraldecadestodeveloplungcancer.Surelyanonsmoker,evenregularlyexposedtosmokeintheair,wouldhavetolivetobeabout300tocatchup?Andhowexactlywouldyouknowitwassmokethatkilledthem,asopposedto,say,theappallingLAsmog?SincethenI’veresearchedthesmokingissueindepth.I’veunravelledreamsostatistics,metwithdoctorsandacademics,andnetworkedwithscoresootherresearchersandactivistswhoaretryingtogetatthetruth.I’mnowconvincedthatthedangersosmoking-andparticularly‘passive’smoking-aregreatlyexaggerated,orreasonswhichhavemoretodowithpolitics,powerandprotthanobjectivescience.Ibelievetheantismokingmovement-especiallylobbygroupslikeASH(ActiononSmokingandHealth)-hasartoomuchmoneyandinfuence,andthattheirdishonestyandbullyingtacticsshouldbeworryingeventothosewhohatetobacco.Thisessayisinourparts.Therstexaminestherisksosmoking;thesecond,‘secondhandsmoke’;thethird,smokingbans;andtheourth(andperhapsmostimportant)somebroadersocialandpoliticalcontexts.Thereisalsoalistattheendourthersources,resourcesandwaystogetinvolved.Sincemyintentionistooeranintroductiontosomeotheseissues,ratherthanatextbook,I’vererainedromootnotesorlistsosources,butIcanpromisethereaderthattheycanallbeound-andbackedupoverandoveragain-throughthatlist.

Joe JacksonApril 2007

Joe Jackson is a musician and writer best known or hits such as ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him?’, ‘It’s Dierent For Girls’ and ‘Steppin’ Out’. In 1999 he wrote A Cure For Gravity, “abook about music thinly disguised as a memoir”, and in 2000 he won a Grammy or Best PopInstrumental Album or the non-orchestral Symphony No.1. Born in England in 1954, Joe lived in New York or 20 years rom 1983 to 2003, when he returned to London. He is a Fellow o the Royal Academy o Music and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University o Portsmouth, his home town. A “social smoker”, Joe has researched the subject o smoking indepth and in 2004 wrote a widely-read essay, ‘The Smoking Issue’. He has also written articles onthe subject or the New York Times, Daily Telegraph and Guardian, among others. He is currently living and working in Berlin.

p 02Smoke, Lies and the Nanny State

ONE

COMMONKNOWLEDGEItishasbecome‘commonknowledge’thatsmokingisoneotheworstthingsyoucanpossiblydotoyoursel;‘alltheexpertsagree’.Ocourse,‘alltheexperts’onceagreedthatmasturbationcausedblindness,thathomosexualitywasadisease,andthatmarijuanaturnedpeopleintohomicidalmaniacs.Inthe1970sand80sBritishdoctorstoldmotherstoputtheirbabiestosleepace-down.Cotdeathssoared,untilacampaignbyonenursesucceededinchangingthispolicy,whichwenowknowtohaveclaimedsomethinglike15,000lives.Mostmedicalpractitioners,institutions,andlobbygroupsarehard-workingandwell-intentioned.Buttheycanjustaseasilybeclueless,biased,orcorrupt,nottomentionincreasingly,andworryingly,embeddedwiththepharmaceuticalindustry.Yetwhilepresidentsandprimeministersareroutinelycastigatedasliarsandcrooks,it’sraretoencounterevenwhatIwoulddescribeashealthyscepticismtowardshealthproessionals.Whyshouldthisbeso?Ibelievethatwehavetoputouraithinsomeone,andthatasouraithinpoliticalandreligiousleadershasdeclined,wehavebecomenotonlyexcessivelyreverenttowardsdoctorsandscientists,butincreasinglywillingtoallowthemtodictateourliestylesandlaws.Healthisseenasanunqualiedgood.Whocanbeagainst‘health’?Likewise,‘science’isequatedwithintegrityandcertainty.Ithasbecomeourreligion.Unortunately,thereispreciouslittlegenuinesciencetobeoundinthepronouncementsomediapunditsandpoliticians.Insteadwe’reedasteadydieto‘junkscience’:actsoutocontextandoutoproportion,insubstantialclaimsbasedondubiousmethodology,andclevergameswithstatistics.Liketheperennialpubborewhoholdsorthwithgreatauthorityonanynumberotopics,theaveragepoliticianornewspapereditortendstopromotewhatever‘science’suitshisorherprejudiceoragenda.THINGSTOBEARINMINDI’mgettingtothesmokingissue,butIbelieveit’sessentialtostartobypleadingoramuchmorescepticalattitudetowardshealthauthorities,nottomentionpeoplewhouse‘health’aswindow-dressingortheiragendas.I’malsotryingtodisentangleemotionalprejudiceandashionromreason.Inthehal-centuryI’vebeenonthisplanet,I’veseennoworseexampleohopelessentanglementthaninthedebate-orlackodebate-oversmoking.Smokinghasalwaysbeensomethingwhichmanypeopleloveandmanyothersjustdon’t

get

.Asarasthey’reconcerned,itquiteliterallystinks.Theythereoretendtobelieveanyhorrorstorytheyhearaboutit.Therehavealsoalwaysbeenpeoplewhowantedtostopussmoking.Aprettydismalbunchthey’vebeen,too,romSultanMuradIVoTurkey(whohadsmokerscastrated)toAdolHitler.Butwhateveryourpersonaleelingsabouttobacco,it’sworthbearinginmindthatantismokershavealwaysexaggerateditsdangers.They’vealways

had

to,sinceit’snotenoughtotellpeople-youngpeopleespecially-thatsomethingtheyenjoyjustmightendupmakingthemsickin,say,40years’time.Butlet’strytobemorespecic.LUNGCANCER,ANDCONVENIENTNUMBERSWeseemtobeobsessedwithcancerthesedays,perhapsbecausetheideathatsomethingisstillbeyondthepowerodoctorsandscientistsscaresthelivingdaylightsoutous.Idon’tmeantotrivialise;myatherdiedocancer.Idothink,though,thatwe’reoverlyzealousinoursearchorscapegoats(recentmediareportshaveclaimedthatwecangetcancerromhairdye,sotdrinks

of 00

Smoke Lies Nanny State

A great article for smokers and non-smokers alike.

Download or Print

2,510 Reads

Info and Rating

Category:	Uncategorized.
Rating:	(3 Ratings)
Upload Date:	06/20/2007
Copyright:	Attribution Non-commercial
Tags:	Politics of choice freedom state smoking smoke nanny Politics of choice freedom state smoking smoke nanny (fewer)