tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361956449419487283.post1985227607648624291..comments2023-11-05T04:41:34.070-08:00Comments on Snus News & Other Tobacco Products: Massachusettes - Smoking ban drop in fatal heart attacks..tobaccowatch.orghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12097449797635429228noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361956449419487283.post-18341044490738925752008-11-14T19:32:00.000-08:002008-11-14T19:32:00.000-08:00Since the article doesn't provide any information ...Since the article doesn't provide any information on the reduced number of heart attacks due to statins (it simply says a 50% reduction), it's absolutely impossible to say what effect the smoking ban had. It's possible that statin use cut them by 200, or 400, or even the entire 600 and that the ban had absolutely no effect at all. Why would the authors omit such an important consideration? Could it be because they want to exaggerate the effects of the smoking ban in order to please the grant funders of their study?<BR/> <BR/>An important second consideration also seems to be ignored. Even if a significant reduction in heart attacks occurred after correcting for statin use, there seems to be absolutely no indication of how much of this reduction occurred among smokers who quit smoking as opposed to nonsmokers "who were exposed to secondhand smoke." The antismoking movement bases its justification for government bans on the claim that nonsmokers are being harmed by smokers, so why would the authors deliberately avoid separateing the groups in order to strengthen their argument?<BR/> <BR/>Could it be that the numbers wouldn't support the claims they try to make? It wouldn't be the first time. See the "Stiletto" at:<BR/> <BR/>http://encyclopedia.smokersclub.com/257.html<BR/> <BR/>for a brief, admittedly one-sided, but honest, accurate, and easy-to-read short analysis of some of the popular studies used to advance these bans and then ask yourself whether this current study should be swallowed with a few grains of salt as well.<BR/> <BR/>Michael J. McFadden<BR/>Author of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains"<BR/>http://pasan.TheTruthIsALie.comMichael J. McFaddenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12181949578184965482noreply@blogger.com