Young People Unaware That Smoking Causes Blindness

Earth Times ^ | 2/6/2007 | Ravi Chopra and Grant Junkie

[Eric Blair 2084]

LONDON - The Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) has said that young people are unaware of the fact that smoking could lead to blindness. The charity says that if the government were to fund a national campaign, then young people could give up smoking.

For evidence, it cites an article in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, which found that the fear of blindness was more of a deterrent than anything else. The study surveyed around 250 clubbers in Winchester, Manchester and Southampton. All responders were aged between 16 to 18 years.

On a scale of 5, most rated the fear of lung cancer as 3, while sight loss was rated 4. Furthermore nine of the ten surveyed felt that they would quit smoking if they saw the first signs of vision trouble. Smoking is known to increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD, but only 2 percent of those surveyed were aware of this complication.

"The problem with anti-smoking campaigns targeted at teenagers is that they feel they're invincible," said RNIB campaigns manager, Barbara McLaughlan. "It really is important that the link between smoking and blindness becomes common knowledge."

Dr Simon Kelly, who is the co-author of the report appearing in the journal agreed. "When patients are told smoking is damaging their eyes, in my experience, they are usually keen to quit smoking," he added.

Smoking is a common issue in teenagers and it is very difficult to convince them to kick the habit. However the present study highlights the fact that spreading awareness of the risk of blindness might just do the trick.

[Eric Blair 2084]

If this appeared in The Onion as written it would be hysterical. How do you use satire or reductio ad absurdum arguments with the smoke Nazi's?

Q: What are they going to say next? That smoking causes blindness? A: Uh, yes.

[RichInOC]

No, next they're going to say that it causes hairy palms.

[ivyleaguebrat]

Few people know smoking is a leading cause of impotence at a young age.. That scares me more than blindness.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junky, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Sheeple Control, Health Nazi Ping!!!

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Preamble:

We the People Sheeple of the United States Nanny State, in Order to form a more perfect Union Socialist Utopia, establish Justice Socially engineer a country of non smoking, physically fit, tea totallers, insure domestic Tranquility Smoking bans in bars, limits on unhealthy food and social drinking, provide for the common defense Universal Healthcare, promote the general Welfare health of the population whether they like it or not, in order to save above mentioned Universal Healthcare entitlement program from bankruptcy, and secure the Blessings of Liberty Dependency to ourselves progressive liberals and our Posterity Hitler Youth who we brainwash through public school education, do ordain decree and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Nanny State of Liberals.

[ExtremeUnction]

My mother told me what causes blindness, and smoking ain't it.

[JRios1968]

If you do it long enough, you will have smoke, go blind and get hairy palms...

[SamAdams76]

If they really want to curb teen smoking, just say that smoking makes you want to get a haircut and get a job.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Eric Blair 2084]

My mother told me what causes blindness, and smoking ain't it.

That's exactly the point. As kids we were told masturbation (if I can say words like "kids" on FR) would make us go blind. They lied. So now, when kids realize how they are being lied to about this nonsense, they're more likely to go out and smoke just to piss the authoritarians off. This sort of propaganda and single minded fascism ends up causing more harm than good.

[SoldierMedic]

Smoking can do lots of things to your body, including going blind. But the fact that they probably didn't clue people in on is... It takes a really long time for that to happen. It's like eating fatty foods, you don't get all the health repurcusions right away, and if you do other things to offset what you are doing wrong, it may never happen. IE, If you smoke, but also go jogging, swim, or in some way excercise, the odds are very high you will not go blind.

[Mr. Brightside]

... causes blindness...

Reminds me of the joke: "... so I will only do it until I need glasses."

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

SMOKING


As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep and never to refrain when awake.
- 70th birthday speech
MARK TWAIN

[freespirited]

This is what often happens when medical reports get translated by clueless laypeople who do not understand basic scientific concepts.

The headline should say something such as Young People Unaware That Smoking Increases Chance of Eye Diseases that Can Cause Blindess.

[Eric Blair 2084]

If they really want to curb teen smoking, just say that smoking makes you want to get a haircut and get a job.

If they really wanted to stop kids from smoking, pay me a $250,000 consulting fee and I'll stop teen smoking completely within one month:

Just think of the gayest, goofiest, most uncool person in the world...someone who kids least want to emulate, and feature them in a cigarette commercial. Some of these people are rabid left wing anti-smoking zealots, so we would have to convince them it's for the Chilruns:

"Hi kids, I'm John Kerry, if you want to be cool just like me, make sure to smoke __________ (fill in the blank) brand cigarettes."

I guarantee you no kid will ever light up again. Who else can we get in the commercial?

[Eric Blair 2084]

I'd like to believe that something got lost in the translation from English to English, but we know the real reason is your real headline is not nearly scary enough.

Just like with the Surgeon General SHS report or the UN Global Warming report...these people know darn well that ordinary citizens are too busy to actually read the report. Just use some alarmist rhetoric and that's all they hear.

[Alter Kaker]

It isn't a lie. Now smoking isn't exactly the leading cause of blindness (diabetes is) but it definitely increases the risk of blindness. Keep telling yourself otherwise, but the public ain't buying it.

[uglybiker]

Zee smokink vill kaus you to go bleint! Ja!

[Eric Blair 2084]

Hey AK, how are you. I was ready to put your picture on the back of a milk carton and report you missing after our last debate. You just picked up your beret and ran like a French soldier fleeing a German Panzer tank division.

You're like Jason from Friday the 13th, I keep killing you and you keep coming back.

Again, you are just here to pick a fight. I never said smoking, eating, drinking, sunshine, exhaust fumes or anything else doesn't increase/decrease a risk of blindness or herpes or anything else. The issue here is THE PROPAGANDA, SENSATIONALISM AND SCARE TACTICS.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Best line of the day! :)

"If they really want to curb teen smoking, just say that smoking makes you want to get a haircut and get a job."

[gonzo]

"...I was ready to put your picture on the back of a milk carton and report you missing..."

Eric, I thought transvestites got their picture on a carton of 1/2 and 1/2?

Along with jon cary, you could put michael jacksons picture in yer ad ............ FRegards