[aruanan]

"This helps us understand the real toll of tobacco," said Armando Peruga, of the World Health Organization, who led the study. He said the estimated 603,000 deaths from passive smoking should be added to the 5.1 million that smoking claims annually.

Gee, they didn't like the results of the previous, massive study which concluded either no effects from or a slightly protective effect from second-hand smoke, which they downplayed, so now they've done another one to get the results they wanted with the first.

[Publius6961]

Gee, they didn't like the results of the previous, massive study which concluded either no effects from or a slightly protective effect from second-hand smoke, which they downplayed, so now they've done another one to get the results they wanted with the first.

What is amazing is that the WHO report on the effects of second-hand smoke wasn't "downplayed." It was so thoroughly buried, that it has been impossible for me to ever find a complete copy of it including tables and appendices.

Isn't it astounding that Assange has managed to get national defense secrets, hundreds of thousands of items, perhaps up to a million, and no one has been able to sneak a single complete copy of the UN WHO study of 1999?

There never was as thorough a study of second hand smoke before the WHO study, and it's not likely there will ever be a truly politically and PC-free study any time soon.

The WHO study, as I recall, covered 15-20 years of constant follow up of tens of thousands of individuals of all ages.

Howerver, here's a tantalizing glimpse :

1999 WHO Study Comments