Well, really, this is not the greatest antismoking epidemiological trash, but it is certainly the latest uncritically published by the ‘public health’ BBC lackey.
The lack of criticism, of course, is because the trash helps to make smoking look bad; if it was a study that exonerated smoking, it either would not have been reported, or the source of funding would have been sought.
Of course these penny-ante researchers certainly cannot hope to compete with the professional cons of the World Health Organization, for example, but they are doing their best for the advancement of medieval superstitions and parascience upon which "public health" and its healthist “culture” is based today.
”US researchers found that heavier smokers have a greater risk of the skin condition and this only falls back to normal 20 years after quitting.”
The statistical risk increase is, of course, ridiculously small (only 37% or 78%; even junk science multifactorial epidemiology required a 200%+ elevation). But wait! Passive smoking cannot be left out, are we crazy?!… Here it comes: “The team also found that exposure to passive smoke during pregnancy or childhood was associated with an increased risk of psoriasis.” Of course it was!
The technique of these “researchers” that take up space at the Harvard Medical School in Boston and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver instead of the local penitentiary should be known to all by now: questionnaires, and attributions – all to contribute to the trite stop-smoking message. As we all know by now, there would be no disease afflicting humanity if it wasn’t for the presence of active and passive smoking.
In reality the exact cause(s) of psoriasis is not known. In the meantime, light up a cigarette and enjoy the usual provisos:
“It is thought that toxins in cigarette smoke may affect parts of the immune system associated with psoriasis. … This study suggests that there is a stronger link between smoking and the risk of developing psoriasis and this clearly merits further research [read: more grants and public money for us]. Psoriasis, however, is an immensely complex condition – there are people with psoriasis who do not and have never smoked" – the last phrase being a critical element in keeping under control the itch to throw “researchers” of this kind in jail and then throw away the keys.
In short: we don’t have a clue – but we made good money off this trash and we hope to make more money in the future because the next “study” will also show another meaningless association with smoking. Furthermore, we did the good deed of the day by giving a little scare to the public and maybe induce a few idiots to quit the only habit for which not even one death can be demonstrated to be caused by it.
Our conscience is clear: after the trip to the bank, we can now go to sleep with a smile, and with satisfaction for a con job well done.
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