ASH DEFINITION OF STRONG EVIDENCE AND JUSTIFICATION OF THEIR INTRUSION IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES AND PARENTAL AUTHORITY

A statement by ASH UK refers to the recent Swedish study that we discussed in our French text below and urges smokers to stop smoking at home.

Following is an excerpt of their statement that you can read here:

‘’Research: Smoking linked to allergies

There is "consistent and strong" evidence that children exposed to secondhand smoke in early infancy have a higher risk of developing allergies, according to researchers.’’

As we pointed out in our French text, the relative risk factor of this study is 1,28. This is hardly what an epidemiologist would label ‘’strong evidence’’. As a matter of fact, a study so inconclusive, on any other non-politicized health issue, would have simply been dismissed; especially with the limitations of the study as reported by the authors of the study themselves, that you can read here.

''Limitations of the study include difficulty in distinguishing the effects of tobacco exposure in utero and postnatally; reliance on questionnaire data on children at age 2 months; possible disease-related or recall bias, or both; lack of objective assessments of smoke exposure; and possible uncontrolled confounding.''

ASH UK should explain to its readers and the population at large, that if the conclusions of this study represent ‘’strong’’ evidence, what is their criteria for weak evidence? Surely, parents and other concerned citizens would also like to be enlightened as to why childhood allergies have been constantly rising while smoking prevalence has been dramatically decreasing since the last 25 years. Childhood allergy epidemic on the rise worldwide Prevalence of childhood allergies increasing worldwide

And this folks, is a perfect example of what anti-tobacco uses as ‘’scientific’’ evidence to peddle their ideology and justify their intrusion into our personal lives.