'don't believe smoking causes cancer'

[Taro Toporific]

Long road for anti-smoking Japanese
By Tony Birtley in Tokyo, Al Jazeera English - Asia-Pacific, Jan 18, 2007
Two Japanese men suffering from cancer are suing government-owned Japan Tobacco, saying cigarettes are to blame.
It is a battle which has been played out in court rooms around the world, often resulting in massive payouts by tobacco companies - but in Japan things are different.
There are few anti-smoking laws, many politicians have interests in Japan Tobacco, and the company insists cigarettes do not cause cancer....
[floatr][/floatr]
....Toshimasa Kurita, Head of the Social Environment Creation Division at Japan Tobacco says the company is simply meeting a demand.
"We don't believe smoking causes cancer," he says.
"Cancer is caused by various risk factors. Smoking is one risk factor. There is also dietary conditions and hereditary conditions as well. So if one chooses to smoke we as a manufacturer provide services to our customers".

[maninjapan]

Just like how the high salt level in soy sauce are a 'risk' factor in stomach/colon cancer.

Just like how Alcohol is a 'risk' factor in cirrhosis of the liver.

When will they learn that until the government doesn't have a vested interest in the tobacco companies nothing is going to change.

Look at the UK where a single box of cigarettes can cost around GBP5.50 and people still smoke with huge labels on the boxes warning of death.

[Catoneinutica]

Long road for anti-smoking Japanese
By Tony Birtley in Tokyo, Al Jazeera English - Asia-Pacific, Jan 18, 2007
Two Japanese men suffering from cancer are suing government-owned Japan Tobacco, saying cigarettes are to blame.
It is a battle which has been played out in court rooms around the world, often resulting in massive payouts by tobacco companies - but in Japan things are different.
There are few anti-smoking laws, many politicians have interests in Japan Tobacco, and the company insists cigarettes do not cause cancer....
[floatr][/floatr]
....Toshimasa Kurita, Head of the Social Environment Creation Division at Japan Tobacco says the company is simply meeting a demand.
"We don't believe smoking causes cancer," he says.
"Cancer is caused by various risk factors. Smoking is one risk factor. There is also dietary conditions and hereditary conditions as well. So if one chooses to smoke we as a manufacturer provide services to our customers".

And so is born a new avatar - not as nightmarish as Taro's O.U. Squid/Diver Dan/The Gimp chimera, but certainly greasier.

-catone
-have a cigar!

[Taro Toporific]

[Greji]

[Iraira]

[maraboutslim]

I'm not sure what you guys find inaccurate about his statement. It's exactly what the scientific community would also say: smoking is a risk factor. To say, "smoking causes cancer," would mean that everyone who smokes is going to get cancer. We know that's obviously not the case. What we do know is that somewhere along the line, usually said to be the "30-pack year" point (e.g. pack a day for 30 years, 2-packs a day for 15 years, 1/2 pack for 60 years), the individual starts to enter the high risk groups for various health problems like lung cancer and heart disease.

[Charles]

Everyone knows that smoking does not cause cancer.

Of course. It's the phosphorous matches and butane lighters that cause cancer.

[Iraira]

I'm not sure what you guys find inaccurate about his statement. It's exactly what the scientific community would also say: smoking is a risk factor. To say, "smoking causes cancer," would mean that everyone who smokes is going to get cancer. We know that's obviously not the case. What we do know is that somewhere along the line, usually said to be the "30-pack year" point (e.g. pack a day for 30 years, 2-packs a day for 15 years, 1/2 pack for 60 years), the individual starts to enter the high risk groups for various health problems like lung cancer and heart disease.

Sure, to be honest, there is only an association shown between cancer and cigarettes. You can't show cause without having defined the groups prior to the initiation of the data collection, but let's be serious, folks....Cigs greatly increase the risk of many diseases. Only a PR person with a gun pointed at their head would deny that. And sure, unless you are a fissile organism, being born means you are going to die, but at least I will have smoked a bunch of cigs on the way down. Charcoal briquettes in the lungs....steaming lung butter...just another morning.