"it has been shown that non-smokers exposed to SHS in the workplace have a 16 to 19% increased risk of developing lung cancer"
You know that 3 or more drinks a week is a 30% increase in your risk of some types of cancer, like breast cancer, right?
My sister is fond of pointing out that living without regular cardiovascular exercise is like smoking a pack a day.
So what are we talking about here?
If no activity is risk-free, then the sensible question is not "how do we reduce the risk of X to zero", but "what is an scceptable level of risk?"
Do we want everything to be as safe as commercial aviation, or are we OK with the risk level associated with driving a car?
The focusing on risk factors without a reasonable standard of comparision sets the stage for health scares like "power lines give you cancer", and regulation of nearly-harmless behavior.
From http://www.who.int/tobacco/research/secondhand_smoke/faq/en/index.html
"it has been shown that non-smokers exposed to SHS in the workplace have a 16 to 19% increased risk of developing lung cancer"
You know that 3 or more drinks a week is a 30% increase in your risk of some types of cancer, like breast cancer, right?
My sister is fond of pointing out that living without regular cardiovascular exercise is like smoking a pack a day.
So what are we talking about here?
If no activity is risk-free, then the sensible question is not "how do we reduce the risk of X to zero", but "what is an scceptable level of risk?"
Do we want everything to be as safe as commercial aviation, or are we OK with the risk level associated with driving a car?
The focusing on risk factors without a reasonable standard of comparision sets the stage for health scares like "power lines give you cancer", and regulation of nearly-harmless behavior.
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