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EDUCATION AND DEBATE: Mi-Kyung Hong and Lisa A Bero How the tobacco industry responded to an influential study of the health effects of secondhand smoke BMJ 2002; 325: 1413-1416 [Full text]

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Cilia-a Missing Link

John L. Evers, None   (17 December 2002)

Passive smoking and tobacco money

Hiroshi Kawane, 1-2 Ajinadai-higashi, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima, 738-0052, Japan   (9 January 2003)

Cilia-a Missing Link 17 December 2002
John L. Evers, Independent Researcher Westwood,NJ 07675, None Send response to journal: Re: Cilia-a Missing Link	It has been interesting to note the absence of debate on the impact of cigarette smoke on the functioning of the cilia in either the smoker or second-hand passive smoker, cancelling out its protective function. This was brought to my attention in Dr. Koops autobiography while describing his need to have tests of smoking done in Canadian airlines because he failed to obtain cooperation in U.S. airlines.The acid test is this: does the action under consideration interfere with the normal function of the body? In this case, the answer is yes. Who is listening?Are there existing studies available that addresses the reduction in cilia performance as mentioned by Dr.Koop? Does this remind anyone of the Hound of the Baskervilles with Holmes asking:"Why didn't the hound bay at midnight?" Respectfully submitted, John L. Evers Competing interests:   None declared
Passive smoking and tobacco money 9 January 2003
Hiroshi Kawane, professor The Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima College of Nursing, 1-2 Ajinadai-higashi, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima, 738-0052, Japan Send response to journal: Re: Passive smoking and tobacco money	I read with great interest the article by Hong and Bero [1]. They revealed how the tobacco industry supported the study in favour of the industry. I am sorry that two Japanese investigators had been involved in conducting the study. In Japan many universities and institutes have been receiving research funds through the Smoking Research Foundation, a research organisation supported by Japan Tobacco, Inc [2]. More than 150 titles of studies supported by the Smoking Research Foundation from April 2002 through March 2003 can be available at http://www.srf.or.jp/english/current_frame.html (accessed 9 Jan 2003). Five of them are studies on environmental tobacco smoke or passive smoking. [1]Hong M-K, Bero LA. How the tobacco industry responded to an influential study of the health effects of secondhand smoke. BMJ 2002;325:1413-6. (14 December.) [2]Kawane H. Universities and tobacco money: Japan has laundered tobacco money. BMJ 2001;323:869. Competing interests:   None declared