Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a limitation of how much air a person can inhale and exhale. Smoking has long been considered a major risk factor, but some smokers avoid the problem while some non-smokers develop COPD. A new study identifies a risk factor we haven't really considered that seems to play as large a role as smoking.
smoking
The satisfaction of handwork; as we reconsider our economy, is there still a place for small, rather than large; a musing on addiction's social component, and can the outliers of the herd teach us about how to return to social mingling.
In a press release, the American Heart Association sensationalized research presented at its meeting, then included a disclaimer that the research may not be accurate. And the association doesn't necessarily endorse it. And then the Surgeon General posted it on Twitter.
The mainstream media would have us believe that vaping, especially among our children, is the gateway to smoking tobacco. A new study suggests otherwise.
While an investigation is underway into the exact nature of the problem, so far the likeliest explanation is that improper use of vaping devices has led to illness, or the death, of some users. But that sort of nuance isn't governing the thinking of the FDA or CDC officials, both of which are allowing myths and fearmongering to drive their policies and public statements.
Fuzzy math rears its head in a new report on smoking and healthcare costs. Smoking is a big health risk, and we don't need fuzzy math to see that greatly reducing this health hazard will reduce tobacco-related costs.
Cigarette smoking is at an all-time low, and secondhand smoke exposure is also collapsing. So some public health officials have manufactured a new threat: Thirdhand smoke.
The prevalence of cigarette smoking among American adults is at an all-time low. Many media outlets decided to downplay or ignore this milestone public health achievement and instead scare people about vaping.
Smokers, like the rest of us, believe that a small reward today is worth a bigger penalty in the future. Smokers also believe that this future is further away than non-smokers. Or put another way, "I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."
Not all vices are equally bad. In a perfect world, our kids never do anything stupid or rebellious. But we don't live in that kind of world, do we? The principle of harm reduction acknowledges that reality, which means that teen vapers are preferable to teen smokers.
Why do smokers find such solace in cigarettes? It may be the nicotine, and as a study explains those who have a hard time controlling their emotions may turn to smoking as a way to self-medicate. New CDC data completely supports that assertion.
Partisanship is a terrible development for our culture. But it's even worse for areas such as public health, because people die when we implement bad, partisan ideas.