Interesting: cigars and health
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Dominican56
CRA #99997657
FDA obscures the truth about cigars with smoke and mirrors
Posted on October 4, 2016 by Dr. Micozzi
FDA scientists just completed a systematic review of cigar smoking. They found that cancer risks are statistically zero for smoking one or two cigars per day. But, like a master illusionist, the FDA hid the truth under the table and only partially revealed their own sleight of hand.
For this review, FDA scientists analyzed data from 22 studies on cigar smoking and health outcomes. The scientists observed a clear dose-response effect. I frequently write about this principle. We often see it as it applies to drugs (and poisons), which the FDA should be protecting us from, instead of regulating cigars. Basically, a dose-response effect means the level of exposure relates to the level of risk.
When it comes to this study, it means the more cigars a person smoked daily, above a certain threshold, the higher the cancer risk. But smoking just one or two cigars per day had minimal health risks. However, the scientists hid this important finding amidst political posturing.
In fact, just to cover its bases, the FDA required the researchers to add this statement to their report: “[the study is] not a formal dissemination of FDA policy and does not represent FDA policy or position.” And this political posturing was the first thing readers saw when looking at the article — not the real facts about the minimal risks of smoking just one or two cigars per day.
Regardless of the new science from their very own scientists, the FDA recently took the official position that “cigar smoking carries many of the same health risks of cigarette smoking.”
They are actually half-right, but without realizing it.
Missing the forest for the trees
The FDA bases its whole political stance on evidence that heavy cigar smoking raises a person’s cancer risk. And yes, that is true. Of course, smoking 12 cigars a day will increase your risk of cancer, as in the tragic case of Gen. U.S Grant. But most people who enjoy good, whole leaf tobacco cigars only have one per day. Two at the most.
And light-to-moderate smoking of only one or two cigars per day, in fact, does carry the same risk as smoking a half-pack or less of cigarettes per day — namely NO risk at all for most people. Plus, research links light-to-moderate smoking of cigars or cigarettes with a healthier body weight.
Of course, cigar smoking is not like cigarette smoking as a behavior or habit. For one, you do NOT inhale cigar smoke, which clearly factors into the scientific findings. Second, it takes a long time to smoke a cigar. And nobody has the time to “chain-smoke” them.
Having a cigar is a time of relaxation and stress reduction. When the Native Americans spoke about smoking the “peace pipe,” the “peace” referred to the feeling they felt by smoking a pipe. (It did not refer to passing around of a pipe when signing treaties that weren’t worth the paper they were written on.)
As a side note, many people simply seem to have a cultural or personal bias against cigar smoke. They viscerally dislike the practice and its practitioners. That’s fine. It is (or was) a free country. But I find it ironic that often many of these same cigar critics celebrate smoking marijuana. Indeed, most people put cigarettes and cigars in the same vilified category, and marijuana gets a free pass, while its effects on both physical and especially mental health can be far worse.
But cigars and cigarettes are also very different products from each other. Cigars are made from natural whole-leaf tobacco and don’t have the chemical additives of cigarette tobacco. (And again, even with chemical additives, cigarettes don’t pose the deadly risks they’ve been accused of, when kept to less than a half-a-pack a day.)
No matter the science, the FDA’s politically correct and unscientific assumptions have spawned an entire new bureaucracy — the Center for Tobacco Products at FDA. They spend taxpayer money conducting frivolous research but then ignoring their own results, in order to justify their own existence.
The FDA can’t even keep deadly and dangerous prescription drugs off the market. (Admittedly it’s difficult when the former FDA head allegedly conspired, according to a federal racketeering charge, to dump toxic drugs on the public and conceal the scientific facts.)
They also stumble around interfering with public access to dietary supplements.
Now, they are taking on cigars.
There is an old saying, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
At the FDA, there is “smoke and mirrors” when it comes to the science. And unless we “fire” thousands of bureaucrats who make their livings harassing honest, taxpaying citizens, the scientific truth will never come out from under those bureaucratic conference tables.
Source:
“Systematic review of cigar smoking and all cause and smoking related mortality,” BMC Public Health (www.bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com) 3/5/2015
Posted in Daily Dispatch, Smoking
Tagged cigars
Posted on October 4, 2016 by Dr. Micozzi
FDA scientists just completed a systematic review of cigar smoking. They found that cancer risks are statistically zero for smoking one or two cigars per day. But, like a master illusionist, the FDA hid the truth under the table and only partially revealed their own sleight of hand.
For this review, FDA scientists analyzed data from 22 studies on cigar smoking and health outcomes. The scientists observed a clear dose-response effect. I frequently write about this principle. We often see it as it applies to drugs (and poisons), which the FDA should be protecting us from, instead of regulating cigars. Basically, a dose-response effect means the level of exposure relates to the level of risk.
When it comes to this study, it means the more cigars a person smoked daily, above a certain threshold, the higher the cancer risk. But smoking just one or two cigars per day had minimal health risks. However, the scientists hid this important finding amidst political posturing.
In fact, just to cover its bases, the FDA required the researchers to add this statement to their report: “[the study is] not a formal dissemination of FDA policy and does not represent FDA policy or position.” And this political posturing was the first thing readers saw when looking at the article — not the real facts about the minimal risks of smoking just one or two cigars per day.
Regardless of the new science from their very own scientists, the FDA recently took the official position that “cigar smoking carries many of the same health risks of cigarette smoking.”
They are actually half-right, but without realizing it.
Missing the forest for the trees
The FDA bases its whole political stance on evidence that heavy cigar smoking raises a person’s cancer risk. And yes, that is true. Of course, smoking 12 cigars a day will increase your risk of cancer, as in the tragic case of Gen. U.S Grant. But most people who enjoy good, whole leaf tobacco cigars only have one per day. Two at the most.
And light-to-moderate smoking of only one or two cigars per day, in fact, does carry the same risk as smoking a half-pack or less of cigarettes per day — namely NO risk at all for most people. Plus, research links light-to-moderate smoking of cigars or cigarettes with a healthier body weight.
Of course, cigar smoking is not like cigarette smoking as a behavior or habit. For one, you do NOT inhale cigar smoke, which clearly factors into the scientific findings. Second, it takes a long time to smoke a cigar. And nobody has the time to “chain-smoke” them.
Having a cigar is a time of relaxation and stress reduction. When the Native Americans spoke about smoking the “peace pipe,” the “peace” referred to the feeling they felt by smoking a pipe. (It did not refer to passing around of a pipe when signing treaties that weren’t worth the paper they were written on.)
As a side note, many people simply seem to have a cultural or personal bias against cigar smoke. They viscerally dislike the practice and its practitioners. That’s fine. It is (or was) a free country. But I find it ironic that often many of these same cigar critics celebrate smoking marijuana. Indeed, most people put cigarettes and cigars in the same vilified category, and marijuana gets a free pass, while its effects on both physical and especially mental health can be far worse.
But cigars and cigarettes are also very different products from each other. Cigars are made from natural whole-leaf tobacco and don’t have the chemical additives of cigarette tobacco. (And again, even with chemical additives, cigarettes don’t pose the deadly risks they’ve been accused of, when kept to less than a half-a-pack a day.)
No matter the science, the FDA’s politically correct and unscientific assumptions have spawned an entire new bureaucracy — the Center for Tobacco Products at FDA. They spend taxpayer money conducting frivolous research but then ignoring their own results, in order to justify their own existence.
The FDA can’t even keep deadly and dangerous prescription drugs off the market. (Admittedly it’s difficult when the former FDA head allegedly conspired, according to a federal racketeering charge, to dump toxic drugs on the public and conceal the scientific facts.)
They also stumble around interfering with public access to dietary supplements.
Now, they are taking on cigars.
There is an old saying, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
At the FDA, there is “smoke and mirrors” when it comes to the science. And unless we “fire” thousands of bureaucrats who make their livings harassing honest, taxpaying citizens, the scientific truth will never come out from under those bureaucratic conference tables.
Source:
“Systematic review of cigar smoking and all cause and smoking related mortality,” BMC Public Health (www.bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com) 3/5/2015
Posted in Daily Dispatch, Smoking
Tagged cigars
Anything done to excess has its risks, overeat, over exercise, sleep around too much, the list goes on. I'll be the last to say that cigar smoking is good for you but cigar smoking lowers my risk from stress, overeating, and since I smell of cigar smoke all the time I don't get the opportunity to sleep around too much!! Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!
I do believe smoking in an unventilated room raises your risk considerably .
Great post, thanks.
I do believe smoking in an unventilated room raises your risk considerably .
Great post, thanks.
Dominican56
CRA #99997657
What money should we follow?
Dominican56
CRA #99997657
Dominican56
CRA #99997657
Agree that ventilation is best.
I don’t subscribe to the published dangers of second hand smoke, however. It’s junk science.
you've been drinking.
.. and if you really want to know, ask the doctor. he can tell you all about it.
Dominican56
CRA #99997657
Nope. Can’t sleep.
Drinking sounds like a fine idea about now.
Dominican56
CRA #99997657
I’m asking YOU because it was your comment.
That's fair. even though you know the answer, tobacco has always been a target of embezzlement.
I would think there is a very large diffrence in haling 1:89million than to purposely consentrating and inhaling 1:3million. I mean really my grand dad lived to be like 89 smoked 5 mureils a day look at george burns all these people that smoked cigars like a chimney. Then look at your cigerett smokers at 50 with copd asthma emphazema . I was a 17 year cigerett smoker and was glad i came to my senses. Both cigars and cigeretts have a negitive effect on your health. But i would contest cigeretts are much more harmful than cigars
Dominican56
CRA #99997657
I’m not saying that second hand tobacco smoke is better than breathing fresh air. I’m saying that the numbers don’t support the claim that second hand smoke is as bad as claimed. There is a book (or two) called junk science where they were able to refute the claim that second hand smoke is causing cancer at high rates.
As far as cigarettes go, I’m given to understand the filter is a large contributor to smoking related illness.
Incidentally, The issue at hand isn’t cigarettes but cigars
Dominican56
CRA #99997657
Marc, I’m not as knowledgeable as you are about it so I was asking.
If a bureaucrat can justify four bureaucrats under him, he is a supervisor, and his pay goes up. If each of his four justify four beneath them, they are all supervisors, their pay goes up; he is now an administrator, his pay goes up. And so on. The way to justify more staff is to discover a crisis. If there is no crisis, create one.
not buying that. I don't actually know. it's just a guess.. like most of humanity, follow the money or, what it buys.