A few days ago, I left a comment for a one Dr Frank Ashall on the British Medical Journal web site in regard to a comment he left on an article concerning electronic cigarettes.
The link is below.
Public Health Moralists are promoting harm – BMJ
I left a comment to Dr. Ashall because I thought his moral high ground was flawed and narrow minded, and I still do. The BMJ however removed my comment with no reason that I am aware of. Perhaps it was at Dr Ashall’s request, who knows. It certainly was not for questionable content. Regardless of the reason, I will repost my reply to Dr. Ashall below. Censorship is cowardly and the BMJ nor Dr Ashall won’t have the luxury of removing my comment from here.
Ashall’s comment:
Dr Frank Ashall to David Sweanor • 5 months ago
I think that your statements are as much “moralistic” as the ones you criticize as being moralistic. By making the debate a “moralistic” issue, you fail to recognize the importance of solid scientific data (or lack of it) as well as the potential public health harms of e-cigarettes, which are being sold by most companies for profits, appealing to youth, and not so much for potential health benefits.
In the 1950s the cigarette industry introduced cigarette filters and convinced millions of smokers that they were safe. It turns out that filters are no safer than not having them, and even may have contributed to increased prevalence of adenocarcinoma, a now-common type of lung cancer.
Claims of safety are not always correct, and experience and wisdom should tell us that proper regulation and scientific studies are needed. Products sold, in an unregulated way and particularly for profit, in 8000 flavours and containing nicotine, an addictive substance that can also cause direct harm itself, need to be regulated properly.
If e-cigarettes can help some people quit smoking, let them be made available to those smokers in a regulated way, and not sold in shops to youth as if they were candy.
My comment:
gotsteam to Dr Frank Ashall 2 days ago – Removed
Two months later and no reports of vapor causing any harm to humans as yet.. Time will show and I’ll be waiting.
Oh and wondering if you heard that Public Health England concludes that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful to health than tobacco and have the potential to help smokers quit smoking.
Key findings of the review include:
1) The current best estimate is that e-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than smoking
2) Nearly half the population (44.8%) don’t realise e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking
3) There is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers
I wonder how many pediatricians in the UK belong to PHE..
Scare monger much?
Oh, and if the BMJ removes my most recent comment to Dr. Ashall left 30 minutes ago, it is duly reported below as well.
gotsteam to Dr Frank Ashall • 22 minutes ago
“If e-cigarettes can help some people quit smoking, let them be made available to those smokers in a regulated way, and not sold in shops to youth as if they were candy.”
You mean like they do in convenience stores selling regular cigarettes Frank?
My money is on the BMJ removing my comment but I won’t rule out Dr. Ashall having something to do with it as well.
Butthurt much Frank?
kf6hqc
