The Rest of the Story Issues Corrective Statements for Anti-Smoking Groups

Misleading, deceiving, and lying to the American public about tobacco science issues - and thus the need for corrective statements - is not restricted to the tobacco companies and the federal government. Today, I issue my proposed corrective statements for a number of anti-smoking groups which have also deceived the American people or even lied to us about the health effects of secondhand smoke (albeit in the opposite direction from the tobacco companies). Nevertheless, a lie is a lie so here is my list of proposed corrective statements.

Corrective Statement #1: (for Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights)
Corrective Statement Regarding Cardiovascular Effects of Brief Secondhand Smoke Exposure

For years, we lied to you about the effects of a brief exposure to secondhand smoke, telling you that a 30-minute exposure causes heart damage similar to that in habitual smokers. Here's the truth:

• Heart damage is caused by heart attacks that arise due to atherosclerotic heart disease. This takes many years to develop. A single 30-minute exposure cannot cause heart disease; thus, it cannot cause heart damage.
• If it were even possible that 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke could cause heart damage, the IRB at the institution doing the research we are citing to support our statement would never have approved the research.

Paid for by Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights under order of The Rest of the Story.


Corrective Statement #2: (for Action on Smoking and Health)
Corrective Statement Regarding Cardiovascular Effects of Brief Secondhand Smoke Exposure

For years, we lied to you about the effects of a brief exposure to secondhand smoke, telling you that a 30-minute exposure puts a nonsmoker at the same risk of a fatal heart attack as a chronic, active smoker. Here's the truth:

• Heart attacks are caused by atherosclerotic heart disease. This takes many years to develop. A single 30-minute exposure cannot cause heart disease.
• Active smoking conveys a far greater risk of a heart attack than a simple 30-minute exposure to secondhand smoke. The risks are not even comparable.
• For a nonsmoker without severe, pre-existing heart disease, there is no evidence that a 30-minute exposure to secondhand smoke can cause a heart disease; moreover, it is not even plausible that such an effect could occur.

Paid for by Action on Smoking and Health under order of The Rest of the Story.


Corrective Statement #3: (for University of California, San Francisco/TobaccoScam)
Corrective Statement Regarding Cardiovascular Effects of Brief Secondhand Smoke Exposure

For years, we lied to you about the effects of a brief exposure to secondhand smoke, telling you that a mere 20-minute exposure to tobacco smoke is equivalent to smoking a pack a day. We also told you that 30-minutes of secondhand smoke exposure results in clogged arteries. Here's the truth:

• Smoking a pack of cigarettes per day is far worse than merely being exposed to secondhand smoke for 20 minutes. The risks are not even comparable.
• A 30-minute exposure to secondhand smoke does not result in clogged arteries. It takes many years of exposure before the heart disease process progresses enough to result in clogged arteries.

Paid for by the University of California, San Francisco/TobaccoScam under order of The Rest of the Story.


Corrective Statement #4: (for The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids)
Corrective Statement Regarding Cardiovascular Effects of Brief Secondhand Smoke Exposure

For years, we deceived you about the effects of a brief exposure to secondhand smoke, telling you that 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of a heart attack. Here's the truth:

• In an otherwise healthy person, 30 minutes of secondhand smoke exposure is not going to cause a heart attack.
• There is no scientific evidence that a 30 minute exposure to secondhand smoke increases heart attack risk in anyone other than people with severe, pre-existing coronary artery disease.

Paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids under order of The Rest of the Story.


Corrective Statement #5: (for Clean Air for Everyone - Iowa)
Corrective Statement Regarding Cardiovascular Effects of Brief Secondhand Smoke Exposure

For years, we lied to you about the effects of a brief exposure to secondhand smoke, telling you that a 30-minute exposure causes nonsmokers to develop heart disease. Here's the truth:

• A single 30-minute exposure cannot cause heart disease.
• Our statement implied that everyone in the U.S. who has been exposed to secondhand smoke for 30 minutes or more has heart disease. This is untrue. If it were true, everyone in the U.S. would have heart disease.

Paid for by Clear Air for Everyone - Iowa under order of The Rest of the Story.