Clearing The Air

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Brain tumor victim to smoking ban lobbyist: "Can you hear me now?"

New research indicates there is a link between brain tumors and cell phone use.

CTA and others who followed the smoking ban debate long ago discovered this interesting epidemiological stat:

The relative risk ratios for cell phones, computers, hair dryers, and electric blankets are all between 3.0 and 4.0. So why be concerned about a relative risk of 1.3 to your health from secondhand smoke?

Both the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society have clearly stated that relative risk ratios below 2.0 are too low to be relied upon. And a report by the independent health consulting firm Littlewood and Fennell characterized risk ratios (RR) less than 2.0 as “dancing on the tiny pinhead of statistical insignificance."

Hmm... one can only conclude that smoking bans, financed by some very powerful special interest groups, wouldn't even be considered if it weren't for the money. And in hindsight, we know smoking bans eliminate businesses, jobs, and destroy our economy at a global record pace.

Now it seems that since the "secondhand smoke kills" issue has been milked for all it's rent seeking, pharmaceutical nicotine profit worth, it's time to move on to health issues which may actually have merit.

If only RWJF had an ownership stake in hands-free cell phone devices instead of just Nicoderm, Nicotrol, Nicorette, etc., lawmakers might have been alerted to behavioral control legislation of cell phones much sooner. Not that we at CTA would agree with it.

Look for the study above to be used as justification for cell phone bans everywhere. With too many lawmakers and too much government, writing laws these days is less about necessity and more about corporate lobbyists and rent seeking, self-serving legislation. Democracy, hope & change in action.....ain't it grand.