Rapid Responses to:
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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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Throw Peto in a tar pit
- Carol A S Thompson (14 December 1998)
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Thank you Carol AS Thompson!
- Marcus Mullner (15 December 1998)
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Stop Smoking Carol AS Thompson!
- Michael Binder (17 December 1998)
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Kudos
- Ari Ma'ayan (27 December 1998)
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Carol A S Thompson, machine operator Flambeau Micro plastics factory
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Studies which merely compare the death rates of smokers versus non- smokers are nothing less than deliberate scientific fraud. These studies purposely exploit the defect of confounding, to falsely blame smoking for diseases that it does not cause. We now know that most of the supposed "smoking related diseases" are actually caused by viruses and bacteria. The anti-smokers falsely blamed smoking for stomach cancer and ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori; for cervical cancer, esophageal cancer, and bladder cancer actually caused by human papillomavirus; for asthma actually caused by Chlamydia trachomatis; and for heart disease actually caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae and other infection. For some of these diseases, notably ulcers, stomach cancer, and cervical cancer, the supposed association with smoking, which was proclaimed to us to be "causal," was entirely due to confounding. For the other diseases, "the evidence is mounting," to steal a phrase from the anti-smokers, and the anti-smokers' "mountain of evidence" is washing away like sand. But it seems that there are certain old dinosaurs who want to freeze science in the golden age of ignorance of the 1980s, namely Richard Peto and his ilk. Throw this old relic in a tar pit where he belongs! |
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Marcus Mullner, Editorial Registrar BMJ
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Electronic letters submitted to the BMJ are usually read by at least one member of the editorial team before they are posted on the web. This is done for various reasons, the most important being the assurance of a minimum standard. Even though space on the web is virtually unlimited, our readers do not possess unlimited patience and so we try to publish substantiated opinions which contribute significantly to the related subject. Our readers may not realise that a letter published in the eBMJ is also eligible to be published in the paper version of the BMJ. Yesterday, when I was scanning the electronic letters submitted to the eBMJ two letters (1,2) immediately captured my attention, both written by the same person: Carol AS Thompson, a machine operator at Falmbeau Micro Plastics Factory, and definitely a hater of anti-smokers. I suppose she is also a heavy smoker, obviously afraid of a smoke free environment. My first reaction was to delete them, as this opinion is not substantiated (at least not in the way it is presented), and nor does it contribute to the related subject in a meaningful way. So, why should it be on the web? However, there are reasons to present letters like these at times: the BMJ respects freedom of speech, as well as each person's right to make a fool of himself / herself. This is my response as a member of the editorial team. Still I felt inclined to comment as a reader, as well. I do not want to defend the scientific value of these two papers and an editorial (3,4,5), which caused this eruption of emotions. There may be enough room for criticism, but unfortunately Carol Thompson was not able to develop her arguments. I also do not wish to criticise her poor language skills, as mine are not brilliant either. Nor do I want to go into detail concerning the pseudoscientific statements by Carol Thompson, that smoking related diseases are "actually caused by viruses and bacteria". I do want to address the tone of these letters briefly. Apart from the topic, they read almost like Nazi propaganda: a combination of aggression, intolerance, stupidity and fanatism. When reading these letters, I hardly could avoid thinking of all the destruction and grief that was caused by these obviously very human attributes. We don't have to go far back into history, or far away (geographically) to see appalling examples of fanatism and its sequels: unspeakable (often even unthinkable) things happened before, they happen now, and, unfortunately, will happen again and again; it is just a question of the scale. Are there any means to prevent this, like population based interventions to increase tolerance and open-mindedness? Maybe these letters of Carol Thompson serve as a good aid to bear these aims in mind too. Finally, two questions from a reader to Carol Thompson: 1) Why did you bother to write two almost identical letters? The power of your arguments does not increase, nor do the arguments become more reasonable when you add them up. Or was your intention to undermine this hypocritical and deliberately fraudulent system by trying to waste the readers time? 2) Did you ever consider that science is more than results presented in a journal or a newspaper? Use your brain for more than just basal functions. Try to think and reflect, it's fun! Yours sincerely Marcus Müllner, BMJ Editorial Registrar Conflicts of interest: many. I work for the BMJ, I am a physician (during my training in Internal Medicine in Austria I saw many people suffering and dying from smoking related diseases), I am a smoker who tries hard (and relatively successful) not to smoke because it really is dangerous (for me and my environment). References: 1) Carol AS Thompson. Throw Peto in a tar pit eBMJ, 13 Dec 1998 (www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/317/7170/1423#responses) 2) Carol AS Thompson. Anti-smokers lie about health risks of smoking, eBMJ, 13 Dec 1998 (www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/317/7170/1399#EL2?) 3) Shi-Ru Niu, Gong-Huang Yang, Zheng-Ming Chen, Jun-Ling Wang, Gong- Hao Wang, Xing-Zhou He, Helen Schoepff, Jillian Boreham, Hong-Chao Pan, and Richard Peto. Emerging tobacco hazards in China: 2. Early mortality results from a prospective Study. BMJ 1998; 317: 1423-1424 4) Shi-Ru Niu, Gong-Huang Yang, Zheng-Ming Chen, Jun-Ling Wang, Gong- Hao Wang, Xing-Zhou He, Helen Schoepff, Jillian Boreham, Hong-Chao Pan, and Richard Peto. Emerging tobacco hazards in China: 2. Early mortality results from a prospective study. BMJ 1998 317: 1423-1424 5) Lopez AD. Counting the dead in China: Measuring tobacco's impact in the developing world BMJ 1998;317:1399-1400 |
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Michael Binder, Reearch fellow in medical informatics Decision Systems Group, Brigham & Woman's Hospital, Boston, MA
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Even for a traditional medical journal as the BMJ, the Internet allows a lively discussion and obviously attracts also readers outside the medical community. The editorial registrar qualified the unusually harsh electronic responses by Carol AS Thompson (1) as "a combination of aggression, intolerance, stupidity and fanatism"(2). Furthermore, the combination of these attributes reminded him of Nazi propaganda. As an Austrian he has to be sensitive by nature for early signs of this mentality. The reaction by Carol AS Thompson may, however, also be seen from a different perspective. Carol AS Thompson is not a physician and therefore not used to behave properly in the framework of a highly ranked medical journal. Nevertheless, she was brave enough to post her opinion in an unaccustomed environment. In addition, Carol AS Thompson is supposed to be cigarette smoking dependent and therefore her view of the real problem may be blurred. Nicotine dependent cigarette smokers have shown to exhibit increased lifetime rates of major depression and anxiety disorders (3). Smokers with more than 20 cigarettes per day were more likely to exhibit cognitive dissonance over smoking-related health beliefs than were lighter smokers (4). In contrast, offensive behaviour is not due to smoking. Smoking of nicotine containing cigarettes has been found to suppress human aggressive behaviour (5). Nicotine, administered with experimental cigarettes also showed to produce a dose-dependent decrease of aggressive behaviour in humans. (6). The burden of disease caused by smoking is too obvious to be denied without contradiction. Carol AS Thompson, you have demonstrated interest in this field otherwise you would not have found this article in the Internet. You also have shown courage to post your viewpoint in one of the most traditional medical journals. The data on smoking related diseases are all true. Smoking is a deadly disease. Fill up with new courage, stop smoking and throw your last butt in a tar pit where it belongs. References: 1. C. Thompson. Throw Peto in a tar pit. eBMJ, 13 Dec, 1998 (www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/317/7170/1423#responses) 2 M. Muellner. Thank you Carol AS Thompson. eBMJ, 15 Dec 1998 (ww.bmj.com/cgi/content/317/7170/1423#responses) 3. N. Breslau, M. M. Kilbey, and P. Andreski. Vulnerability to psychopathology in nicotine-dependent smokers: an epidemiologic study of young adults. Am.J.Psychiatry 150 (6):941-946, 1993. 4. M. T. Halpern. Effect of smoking characteristics on cognitive dissonance in current and former smokers. Addict.Behav. 19 (2):209-217, 1994. 5. D. R. Cherek. Effects of cigarette smoking on human aggressive behavior. Prog.Clin.Biol.Res. 169:333-344, 1984. 6. D. R. Cherek. Effects of cigarette smoking of nicotine on human aggressive behaviour Psychopharmacology. 75(4):339-345, 1981. Michael Binder, MD Decision Systems Group Brigham and Woman´s Hospital Boston, MA 02115 mbinder@dsg.harvard.edu |
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Ari Ma'ayan, President and Chief Executive Officer BioModa, Inc
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<P> I was delighted to see these publications and commend the authors for an excellent piece of work. As appalling and disturbing as are the facts presented in the articles, ignoring them will not serve humanity. Pretending that the data are otherwise is tantamount to subscribing to the flat earth theory. The only way this current epidemic of smoking related deaths will abate is when everyone, everywhere understands the facts and implications put forth in these articles. Otherwise I fear that the situation will be even worse than predicted. <P> Thank you for forcing the world to look at a truly frightening scenario. I look forward to perusing all of your future work. <P> Sincerely, <P> Ari Ma'ayan BioModa, Inc. www.biomoda.com |
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