Big Tobacco Recruited Scientific /Medical Experts/Shills Re:2nd Hand Smoke

[KittyWampus]

and the same shit will be happening with Big Junk Food Corporations who knowingly ladden our food supply with addictive and toxic CRAP.


from the British Medical Journal- how "the tobacco industry recruited and managed an international network of more than 80 scientific and medical experts in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere in a bid to avoid regulations on secondhand smoke." The study cited, "The tobacco industry's worldwide ETS consultants project: European and Asian components," was actually published in the European Journal of Public Health in August, but I can't find any reference in the popular press.


The BMJ reports that "consultants on environmental tobacco smoke ... were paid and managed by US lawyers working for the industry, and one of the aims of the programme was to enlist consultants who were prepared to publish research supporting the industry’s position that secondhand smoke was not dangerous and that ventilation provided a solution." In one year alone, 1991, the program's budget was $3.3m (£1.9m, €2.8m).


"The objective of the program was to influence policy makers, media and the public by providing, through their consultants … information concerning public workplace regulation, indoor air quality and ventilation standards, and scientific claims regarding secondhand smoke," without this information appearing to have been procured by the tobacco industry, says the report. The consultants carried out these activities by publishing scientific papers and reports, attending conferences, and lobbying. The authors say that the industry’s role was not disclosed to the public or was minimised or obscured when it was mentioned.

The program, begun in 1987, "by 1989 ... included consultants from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and Sweden. It also spread to Asia, and the report says that every member of the organising committee of an international conference on indoor air quality in Bangkok in 1991 was a tobacco industry consultant."


As of early 2004, no document has been located indicating that the program has been terminated.

[Mythsaje]

1. The tobacco thing is one a messed-up deal...

But if you have a problem with junk food, don't eat it. Addictive? I'm not buying that. I can't think of a single piece of junk food I can't bypass if I so decide...

Well, except maybe cheesecake. Can't resist good cheesecake.

[KittyWampus]

2. Shouldn't Junk Food At Least Be Labelled If It Contains Additives/Ingredie

that cause addiction, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer?

[Mythsaje]

3. It could be, but I think it's pretty obvious...

What amazes me, and has for some time, is why some bright folks haven't started a line of "healthy" junk food...adding vitamins and minerals to chips and such like they do with cereal. I mean, why not?

Nearly all our food has additives these days. Anything pre-packaged, certainly. Most of our meats as well. Most grain products have trace amounts of insecticides and rat crap.

[KittyWampus]

4. there are loads of healthy, organic and nutricious snack- in Whole Food

stores and the tiny sections some grocers have for whole foods.

Some taste better then others.

NOte: if you've been eating oreos, the chemical/hyper-sweet taste is both addictive and deadening. If you eat oreos regular, a whole food alternative sweetened with rice syrup or barley malt will not taste good or even sweet.

[Mythsaje]

5. I'm not buying the addictive argument.

Maybe it's because I can only handle so much of that stuff myself before I just don't want any more. I think food addictions of any kind are more mental than physiological.