Remember, the reason ASH dropped its lawsuit against OSHA was OSHA's threat to set an "acceptable level" of ets. Think about the ridiculousness of this stand: there IS an acceptable level of, for instance, benzene; there IS an acceptable level of radioactivity; there IS an acceptable level of virtually EVERY toxin in existence--many of which would kill a human instantly--except environmental tobacco smoke.
LungUSA.org has an estimate on its website that indicates 17,000 lung cancer deaths are attributable to inhaled carcinogens in workplaces (see link below). Yet, all guestimated lung cancer deaths due to second-hand smoke (SHS) are only around 3000 from all venues, in AND outside the workplace. Why have ventilation standards only for SHS, when there are other caustic substances causing a much higher proportion of the lung cancer deaths? Hospitality industry entrepeneurs who can ill afford it are being unfairly singled out for costly regulation. _______________________
Keep adding up the figures. There were an estimated 164,100 new cases of lung cancer and an estimated 156,900 deaths from lung cancer in the United States in 2000.
-Smoking "causes" 85-90% of ALL lung cancers (or so they say - according to Harvard Medical and the Mayo Clinic). (that translates to 139,485 to 147,690 of the new cases or 133,365 to 141,210 of the deaths)
-Second Hand Smoke (SHS) "causes" 3000 deaths per year (or so they say). \
-Inhalation of carcenogenic substances in the workplace add up to 17,000 deaths per year (or so they say).
- Radon "causes" between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States -- 12 percent of all lung cancer deaths are linked to radon (or so they say).
NOTE: No mention of viruses or biological agents at all, yet it's been recently discovered that human papillimovirus (HPV) causes nearly all of cervical cancers. Mechanisms for causing cancer from viral agents are readily apparent in that they replicate by using DNA in human cells and thus can cause normal cell replication to go awry. HPV DNA and RNA strands have been found in malignant lung tissues, but not in the surrounding healthy tissues. Biological agents have been implicated and estimated to contribute to anywhere from at least 5% to in excess of 40% of lung cancers.
And that only scratches the surface. What about other sources of air pollution in our industrial society and other carcinogenic substances readily available in our homes? _____________________________
As nations debate the future effect on the climate of burning fossil fuels, a study finds no question that air pollution from exhaust pipes and smoke stacks already is killing people worldwide. ... Devra Lee Davis, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School for Public Policy and Management in Pittsburgh said the burning of gasoline and coal are causing people to die prematurely from asthma, heart disease and lung disorders. "It is our best estimate that more people are being killed by air pollution from traffic than from traffic crashes," (AP, Aug. 16, 2001 11:00:00)
Currently the U.S. dumps into the atmosphere 58 million tons (megatons) of pollutants a year (more than 530 pounds per capita). Of these 530 pounds per capita, about 140 are carcinogenic hydrocarbons, and 120 are nitrogen oxide gas, that adversely affects lung tissues. Most of the rest is carbon monoxide, linking to the blood's haemoglobin and displacing oxygen. Not to mention super-carcinogenic formaldehyde, and benzene. The mathematical comparison with the sum of direct pollutants intake of an individual smoking one pack a day is 0.44 grams, versus the daily per capita national average of 659 grams available to his/her lungs by air pollution.
You decide WHO's lying. And why.