- Feb 11, 2005
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I had actually forgotten all about this till I saw an episode of Pen& Teller's Bullshit. The big study in the early 90s that really blew the lid of smoking said it found a non-statistically significant risk associated with inhalation of 2nd hand smoke. For people that never took stats that means the study could not determine if the risk actually came from 2nd hand smoke or something else. This did not stop the media from throwing more blame on cigarette companies. They also continue to cite the risks, even doctors do it, despite the fact that study after study after study has found no elevated risk from inhaling 2nd hand smoke. There has never been a study which has found a statistically significant link between 2nd hand smoke and any form of disease.
edit: The point of the Penn & Teller bullshit episode was even the surgeon general is quoting piss-poor faulted statistics. It's like a game to see who can condemn smokers the most, and if you cut them ANY slack, you're satan.
edit: The point of the Penn & Teller bullshit episode was even the surgeon general is quoting piss-poor faulted statistics. It's like a game to see who can condemn smokers the most, and if you cut them ANY slack, you're satan.