People who are praising "western" health care system outside of the US have no idea what they are asking for: they will have long waiting lines to incompetent physicians. This is my personal experience of living in Belgium for 3 years while doing my PhD. We need to help people who cannot afford health care, we need to allow physicians to charge non-insured patients the same rate insurance company pays them and so forth. But be careful, the US system of medicine is the only one on earth that provides a patient with reasonable level of quality and accessibility.
<blockquote>"And remember, all your ANTI smoking stuff shows 'increased risk factors'. Yet you focus people on the % number, and don't explain it.</blockquote>
If the "% number" is there, prudence would strongly suggest avoiding the circumstance in question whether or not the precise mechanisms are spelled out. It's not like anyone is claiming an increased risk of something <i>good</i> happening, is it?
<blockquote>"The likelihood of a non-smoker of getting lung cancer is something on the order of 1.3%. An increase of 1% in the risk factor would not make this number 2.3%, rather it would make it 1.313%......"</blockquote>
...Which in your population of 100,000 would still come to 13 more. So which matters more to you, those 13 people or your liberty to spew secondhand smoke? Or for that matter, can you say the original 1.3 percent were never exposed to secondhand smoke? I don't think so.
Another point you haven't mentioned was that the focus of the original post was heart disease, not cancer. (Whoops, sorry, I guess I wasn't supposed to remember that.)
<blockquote>"Just wait until they come after something that's important to you!"</blockquote>
Oh, they already have. For one thing, I can no longer say I'm a citizen of a country that does not torture. What seems important to you, though, is your own liberty to subject others to your secondhand smoke. At least, nothing you've said so far seems to contradict that.
Canada is known around the world as a nation with substantial public diplomacy resources - a strong reputation and a positive image. A history of Canada's public diplomacy is now available in the newly published book, Branding Canada: Projecting Canada's Soft Power through Public Diplomacy. This book examines all the instruments of Canada's soft power - cultural diplomacy, education diplomacy, international broadcasting, investment and tourism.
I'd say that 39 years is long enough of a study, especially in a pool of 118K people, to say "CANNOT".
And remember, all your ANTI smoking stuff shows "increased risk factors". Yet you focus people on the % number, and don't explain it.
If 1 in 100000 people will die of lung cancer, thats a ONE THOUSANDTH of a percent chance.
If you increase the RISK FACTOR by 20%, that does not mean (as the anti's would like you to believe!!) that 20% of people will get lung cancer if they're exposed to 2nd hand smoke.
The likelihood of a non-smoker of getting lung cancer is something on the order of 1.3%. An increase of 1% in the risk factor would not make this number 2.3%, rather it would make it 1.313%......
Glad you want the government to have the power to dictate to you like that. Just wait until they come after something that's important to you!
So, WoodstockLibertarian, not just <i>linked</i> to a website that takes money from the tobacco industry, but published on it. What's the matter, couldn't Dr. Arnett find anyplace to publish that doesn't take money from the industry?
But of course, the fact that the site in question takes tobacco money doesn't by itself <i>prove</i> that secondhand smoke is harmful, and I never said it did. I didn't offer it as a syllogism, did I? It is, however, a big "trust but verify" flag. I hope too that Dr. Arnett would understand my seeking out some other pulmonologist should I ever find myself needing one.
A quick Google search on Dr. Arnett revealed two things: 1) There won't be any commies or pinkoes involved in making health care policy if he can help it; 2) His referencing of works by Ayn Rand, Ludwig van Mises et al. in at least one review he wrote suggests he may have a bit of a "fire tamed at man's fingertips" perspective in matters concerning tobacco.
As for "total control over human lives," feel free to breath in as much secondhand and/or firsthand smoke as you like as far as I'm concerned, and Happy Libertarianing.
<blockquote>"The evidence of the BMJ study indicates that 2nd hand smoke CANNOT be shown to have a causal effect on illness."</blockquote>
Are you sure you wouldn't like to soften that to "has not yet been shown"? Otherwise you've claimed to have proven a negative, as has Dr. Arnett in the title, "Evidence Shows that Secondhand Smoke Is No Danger." That was my point.
Canada is known around the world as a nation with substantial public diplomacy resources - a strong reputation and a positive image. A history of Canada's public diplomacy is now available in the newly published book, Branding Canada: Projecting Canada's Soft Power through Public Diplomacy. This book examines all the instruments of Canada's soft power - cultural diplomacy, education diplomacy, international broadcasting, investment and tourism.
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