Billions of people have been exposed to secondhand smoke during the past 400 or so years… so let’s ignore that and consider what happened to 32 mice over the course of two weeks.
A study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that secondhand smoke increased the rate of mutations (from 1+% to 4+%) at a particular locus of mouse sperm.
But even if true, so what? The researchers offer no evidence that this purported difference in mutation rate had any clinical effect.
It would have been simple enough for the researchers to allow the mice to breed and observe the outcome. But why do the logical and scientific thing when one can simply jump to the conclusion that,
Our finding that exposure of mice to second-hand smoke induces ESTR mutations in sperm provides compelling evidence in support of the argument that passive smoking should be regarded as a germ cell mutagen in humans. Consistent with data for first-hand smoke, male exposure to second-hand smoke before fertilization is likely to have detrimental reproductive consequences that go beyond the passive smoker.
But what should be “compelling” about this study is that the researchers should be compelled to return their grant money to taxpayers.
This study was funded by the Department of Energy — I hope the researchers at least tossed the mouse carcasses in a power-generating waste boiler — and the California Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, which receives 5 percent of California’s $0.25-per-pack tax on cigarettes and wastes that revenue on dopey studies like this one.
WHy not ,we already smoke around non smoking drunk rats
The vast majority of alterations/mutations/damage to nuclear DNA in gametes (sperm or eggs) will lead to one of three outcomes.
Non-viable embryos will never survive to be counted.
Normal embryos will never have the effects of the changed DNA manifested.
Minimally altered embryos will have imperceptible or insignificant differences from normal.
The ‘monster’ embryo which is changed in a significant or perceptible way, but remains viable, will be a very rare exception.
The ‘danger’ of accidental DNA alteration is greatly exaggerated, especially considering it is the principle mechanism of genetic evolution.
Crawling culprit seen in urban kids’ asthma
Hmmmmm I dont thinkl Roaches SMoke either…
Researchers have identified cockroaches as a potential explanation for dramatic variations between neighborhoods in asthma rates among New York City children.
In some New York City neighborhoods, 19 percent — nearly 1 in 5 — children have asthma; in others, the rate is as low as 3 percent.
Heavy traffic, industrial incinerators, and other outdoor air pollution sources have been blamed in the past as potential contributors to asthma differences across the city.
The anti’s will say the BOOZE made them SMART and SUcessful
ALcohol cost to SOCIETY PER YEAR : $ 280 Billion
Smoking ” ” $ 50 Billion
Danger to others ALCOHOL 100%
Danger to Others PAssive Smoke .001%
Thank you elaine…….You see how they Keep on about SMOKING,Yet Alcohol is the Biggest Killer not only in the USA but the world,In the USA we spend $ 280 Billion a year Just for ITS USE in Death,disease,and destruction 24/7 and ALCOHOL DOES and ALWAYS WILL KILL OTHERS,passive smoke by the way they Lie SHould have killed ALL the BABY BOOMERS by 20 Years AGO,And those ARE FACTS about the COST,ANd Yet It is served around children and Advertised all over america and CONDONED as good for you.
I and the father of my kids both smoked a lot when I was pregnant(4 times). One son is an MD. Daughter is a Phd in math, another son was a computer expert, and the youngest, an artist. Gee…………wonder how that happened!!!
What a bunch of Bull,Hey Let them Brath in SOme alcohol or give them a few SHots of booze and see what happens,I had 6 Kids and were both smokers,What a Bunch of Bull..Why dont they do studies on the biggest killer in the world ? BOOZE