Comments on: The Myth of Second Hand Smoke http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/ A blog by Terry Simpson, MD, FACS Thu, 17 May 2012 17:03:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Doc http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-1/#comment-9009 The Doc Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:18:53 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-9009 Second hand smoke has to be thought of in terms of dose and exposure time. We know that smoking has a dose curve for issues: when I was doing vascular surgery we would see issues with people with as little as twenty pack years -- someone who smoked a pack a day for twenty years. At that point we would see changes that began to cause problems in their vascular system. With lung cancer we would see issues at a higher level. Lets go to second hand smoke-- what is the exposure of that smoke to a person who is around it- and when do we get to the twenty pack year place. When the dilution factor for mainstream and sidestream smoke is put into place, the math shows that we would begin to see the twenty pack year equivalent - assuming you were in a room with a smoker smoking a pack a day - and that room were no more than twenty by twenty feet without ventilation -- and you were in there for all cigarettes smoked for the entire time smoked-- we should see that twenty pack year equivalent in about 4,000 years. This is different than asthma- which is reactive airway disease, and small amounts of noxious ingredients in the smoke can set off asthma. The data for increased ear issues was poorly done, and not reproduced - but was a poor population study. Bottom line: second hand smoke is bothersome- and you should not smoke around kids, or people with asthma- but when it comes to vascular, heart, or lung cancer the math and science is clear - you probably will die from something else and not second-hand smoke Second hand smoke has to be thought of in terms of dose and exposure time. We know that smoking has a dose curve for issues: when I was doing vascular surgery we would see issues with people with as little as twenty pack years — someone who smoked a pack a day for twenty years. At that point we would see changes that began to cause problems in their vascular system. With lung cancer we would see issues at a higher level.
Lets go to second hand smoke– what is the exposure of that smoke to a person who is around it- and when do we get to the twenty pack year place. When the dilution factor for mainstream and sidestream smoke is put into place, the math shows that we would begin to see the twenty pack year equivalent – assuming you were in a room with a smoker smoking a pack a day – and that room were no more than twenty by twenty feet without ventilation — and you were in there for all cigarettes smoked for the entire time smoked– we should see that twenty pack year equivalent in about 4,000 years.
This is different than asthma- which is reactive airway disease, and small amounts of noxious ingredients in the smoke can set off asthma. The data for increased ear issues was poorly done, and not reproduced – but was a poor population study.
Bottom line: second hand smoke is bothersome- and you should not smoke around kids, or people with asthma- but when it comes to vascular, heart, or lung cancer the math and science is clear – you probably will die from something else and not second-hand smoke

]]> By: Smoking Bans « Romandari http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-3/#comment-327 Smoking Bans « Romandari Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:13:09 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-327 [...] http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/ [...] [...] http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/ [...]

]]> By: Why is smoking legal? - Page 4 - 8th Generation Honda Civic Forum http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-3/#comment-309 Why is smoking legal? - Page 4 - 8th Generation Honda Civic Forum Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:50:54 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-309 [...] article: This Doctor says that second hand smoke does not kill, complete with references. The Myth of Second Hand Smoke Pen and Teller even did an episode on second hand smoke: "Not one study, anywhere, offers [...] [...] article: This Doctor says that second hand smoke does not kill, complete with references. The Myth of Second Hand Smoke Pen and Teller even did an episode on second hand smoke: "Not one study, anywhere, offers [...]

]]> By: Don http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-3/#comment-284 Don Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:31:43 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-284 I am not a smoker and in fact I cannot stand it. I am educated in a technical field, BS in Ceramic Engineering, so I understand the Scientific Method, statistics, DOE's, etc.. . I have to say as far as this thread goes Rollo is getting pwned. Harley, Doc and others are making far better and more informed arguments. Rollo, since you keep asking why don't you answer why a non-statistically significant finding does not equal no risk? I am not a smoker and in fact I cannot stand it. I am educated in a technical field, BS in Ceramic Engineering, so I understand the Scientific Method, statistics, DOE’s, etc.. . I have to say as far as this thread goes Rollo is getting pwned. Harley, Doc and others are making far better and more informed arguments.

Rollo, since you keep asking why don’t you answer why a non-statistically significant finding does not equal no risk?

]]> By: Pharaoh http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-3/#comment-275 Pharaoh Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:51:44 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-275 Rollo Tommasi, If you're afraid of second-hand smoke, you should also avoid cars, restaurants...and don't even think of barbecuing. here are just some of the chemicals present in tobacco smoke and what else contains them: Arsenic, Benzine, Formaldehyde. Arsenic- 8 glasses of water = 200 cigarettes worth of arsenic Benzine- Grilling of one burger = 250 cigarettes Formaldehyde - cooking a vegetarian meal = 100 cigarettes And so on. You can stay at home all day long if you don't want all those "deadly" chemicals around you, but in fact, those alleged 4000 chemicals in cigarettes are present in many foods, paints etc. in much larger quantities. And as they are present in cigarettes in very small doses, they are harmless. Sorry, no matter how much you like the notion of harmful ETS, it's a myth. Rollo Tommasi,

If you’re afraid of second-hand smoke, you should also avoid cars, restaurants…and don’t even think of barbecuing.

here are just some of the chemicals present in tobacco smoke and what else contains them:

Arsenic, Benzine, Formaldehyde.

Arsenic- 8 glasses of water = 200 cigarettes worth of arsenic

Benzine- Grilling of one burger = 250 cigarettes

Formaldehyde – cooking a vegetarian meal = 100 cigarettes

And so on. You can stay at home all day long if you don’t want all those “deadly” chemicals around you, but in fact, those alleged 4000 chemicals in cigarettes are present in many foods, paints etc. in much larger quantities. And as they are present in cigarettes in very small doses, they are harmless. Sorry, no matter how much you like the notion of harmful ETS, it’s a myth.

]]> By: Pharaoh http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-3/#comment-274 Pharaoh Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:33:54 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-274 Great article. BTW, Somebody mentioned funding by the big Tobacco being the reason why they denounce a certain study. If the anti-smoking movement is obviously funded by big pharma, whose sole purpose is to make the likes of nicorette the only legal way of nicotine application, I don't see why the fuss about the funding by big Tobacco (assuming that any study in fact was funded by them)- but that's only my opinion. The fact remains, Passive smoking is a scam. yes, It will eventually end just like the alcohol prohibition. Great article. BTW, Somebody mentioned funding by the big Tobacco being the reason why they denounce a certain study. If the anti-smoking movement is obviously funded by big pharma, whose sole purpose is to make the likes of nicorette the only legal way of nicotine application, I don’t see why the fuss about the funding by big Tobacco (assuming that any study in fact was funded by them)- but that’s only my opinion.

The fact remains, Passive smoking is a scam. yes, It will eventually end just like the alcohol prohibition.

]]> By: Rollo Tommasi http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-3/#comment-255 Rollo Tommasi Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:33:24 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-255 ....self explanatory....and none involve twisting science. ….self explanatory….and none involve twisting science.

]]> By: NicNarc http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-3/#comment-219 NicNarc Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:51:21 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-219 Where did this guy get his degree from KMart! Give me a break my Aunt died of lung cancer due to second hand smoke exposure after living with my Uncle for a number of years who was a smoker. That's what the Drs. told the family the main cause of my Aunt's death was being around my Uncle who smoked for many years, and he has since died of lung cancer. You can believe what you like but this "Dr" is playing with the health of everybody who believes this. Where did this guy get his degree from KMart! Give me a break my Aunt died of lung cancer due to second hand smoke exposure after living with my Uncle for a number of years who was a smoker. That’s what the Drs. told the family the main cause of my Aunt’s death was being around my Uncle who smoked for many years, and he has since died of lung cancer. You can believe what you like but this “Dr” is playing with the health of everybody who believes this.

]]> By: Rollo Tommasi http://yourdoctorsorders.com/2009/01/the-myth-of-second-hand-smoke/comment-page-3/#comment-216 Rollo Tommasi Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:41:43 +0000 http://skepticdoc.com/?p=9#comment-216 No Virglk. Rollo simply thinks it is important to expose the "Emperor's new clothes" of the conspiracy theorists' arguments for the naked nothingness that they are. If I had really been talking nonsense, then you, Harleyrider and the Doc would have challenged me on the points I've made instead of trying to ignore them, going off down tangents or simply moaning about my presence. Anyway, I had a good Christmas. Hope others did too. No Virglk. Rollo simply thinks it is important to expose the “Emperor’s new clothes” of the conspiracy theorists’ arguments for the naked nothingness that they are.

If I had really been talking nonsense, then you, Harleyrider and the Doc would have challenged me on the points I’ve made instead of trying to ignore them, going off down tangents or simply moaning about my presence.

Anyway, I had a good Christmas. Hope others did too.

]]>