Like most professional pundits, Margaret Cuomo has perfected the art of speaking authoritatively even when she does not know what she is talking about. Unlike most professional pundits, Cuomo is in a position to cause real damage. As a celebrity doctor spreading misinformation about the hazards of vaping, she is actively discouraging smokers from making a switch that could save their lives, Jacob Sullum writes.
In short, there is no scientific basis for Cuomo’s warning that “e-cigarettes are at least as harmful to your health as regular tobacco cigarettes are.” Not surprisingly, she cites no evidence to support the claim, other than to mention four carcinogens (benzene, cadmium, nickel, and formaldehyde) that have been detected in e-cigarette vapor. She does not mention the tiny amounts involved, which are far lower than the amounts found in tobacco smoke, or that the list of problematic chemicals in tobacco smoke is much longer. Saying we know e-cigarettes are just as dangerous as tobacco cigarettes “because of their chemical composition” may sound scientific, writes Sullum, but it’s complete nonsense.
from Hit & Run http://ift.tt/1XXTrKp
via IFTTT