Smoking and Radiation

[Warlock]

This is a re-post. I think it is more appropriate if it has a thread of its own. If what the man says is true then it is significant. It is long but try to watch at least the last five minutes or so.

 

[RichJB]

As with most subjects in the field of medical research, opinion is divided on this. Some scientists are saying that the polonium in cigarette smoke is a killer, others are dismissing it as insignificant. For example, from Wiki's page on the Health effects of tobacco:

In contrast, a 1999 review of tobacco smoke carcinogens published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute states that "levels of polonium-210 in tobacco smoke are not believed to be great enough to significantly impact lung cancer in smokers." In 2011 Hecht has also stated that the "levels of 201Po in cigarette smoke are probably too low to be involved in lung cancer induction ..."

It is completely natural and expected that there are differing views on this. I'm not sure why vapers get so upset when they read research which claims that vaping is harmful. It would be bizarrely unusual if such research didn't appear from time to time. Think of banting, for example. Some think it's the greatest thing ever, others think it's junk nutrition that is harmful. That's how it works in science generally. We even have it in the climate science field, with some scientists claiming the earth is warming, others that the warming stopped some time ago and we are now back into cooling.

In terms of cancer, scientific research - or rather, the media who report on scientific research - have identified numerous foodstuffs which both cause and prevent cancer. Go figure. One enlightening summary on the maze that is "scientific research" is provided by John Oliver:

 

[Waine]

@Warlock A very informative video clip. I also read somewhere that one of the main reason why tobacco is radioactive is from the pesticides. This just re enforces the fact that I never want to pick up a cigarette again.