Depot de plainte contre l'ancien General Surgeon

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In June, 2006, then
Surgeon General Carmona released his report titled "The Health Consequences of
Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke". Since that date, his report has drawn
criticism from Scientists and Epidemiologists worldwide.

Four separate groups have filed complaints with the Office of Research
Integrity, Health and Human Services against Ex-Surgeon General Carmona's 2006
Report.

Opponents of Ohio Bans filed a complaint against the scientific misconduct
(manipulation of research) of the economic assessment/impact of smoking bans.
According to Carmona's report, smokefree policies do not harm business. Two
thirds of the studies in Carmona's report were either authored or co-authored
by Stanton Glantz, Director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and
Education at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine,
who is not an economist. He and his university have profited heavily by
anti-tobacco funding and grants. Absolutely no studies or reports conducted
by economists or trade organizations were cited in Carmona's report, although
many sources were available at the time. For example, the highly regarded
Deloitte and Touche reported a study for the National Restaurant Association
study (2004), the Ridgeway Economic Associates New York Nightlife
Association/Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association Study (05/12/2004),
and Terry L. Clower, Ph.D. & Bernard L. Weinstein, Ph.D. completed a study for
Dallas Restaurant Association Study (10/01/2004). "This is a glaring and
obvious attempt to stack the deck in favor of anti-tobacco versus the real
damage done to the hospitality industry. How was it even possible that the
highest medical authority in this country got away with this?" asks Pam Parker
of Opponents of Ohio Bans.

The Hawaii Smokers Alliance filed a complaint against the public statement
"there is no safe level of exposure". In addition to violating the basic
tenets of toxicology, this actually crosses the line of fabricating results
because the SG is the highest healthcare authority in the United States of
America and his press release to announce the results of his meta-analysis
truly is his report to the American public. "We are committed to holding
those who have chosen to misinform or misrepresent information to the general
public accountable for such reckless and egregious behavior. Such
misrepresentations are solely responsible for the destruction and incalculable
financial harm to businesses both large and small across the nation," states
Jolyn Tenn of Hawaii Smokers Alliance.

Ban the Ban Wisconsin's complaint cites the haphazard use of RRs or
"relative risks". Coupled with the fact that the larger studies not included
in Carmona's report would have diminished the already unacceptably low RRs,
questionable studies inflated the appearance of RRs. Moreover, the relative
risks don't appear to be discussed with respect to absolute risks. In the
ORI's terms, this is a significant departure from accepted practice in the
relevant field. Early in Carmona's report, a brief subsection stated that,
"The quantitative results of the meta-analyses, however, were not determinate
in making causal inferences in this Surgeon General's report." Clearly, in
the absence of hard evidence, the Surgeon General chose to pontificate
according to his pre-determined results. Carmona couldn't have deviated any
further from accepted practice in the relevant field without stepping in
something.

Citizens Freedom Alliance's complaint is centered on "changing and
omitting data". The data for a meta-analysis is the studies collected from
the body of research, but the SG's meta-analysis omits relevant studies such
as the Enstrom/Kabat study, belittles other large relevant studies, includes
highly questionable studies, and relies heavily on the thoroughly discredited
1992 EPA report (which was not only discredited by a Federal Judge, but by
three congressional committees). By omitting relevant long-term, large
studies as well as relying heavily on discredited reports, the Surgeon General
both changed and omitted data in his meta-analysis of research on secondhand
smoke (SHS)/environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), which did indeed ensure that
the research is not accurately represented in the research record. He,
therefore, committed "research misconduct" as defined by the "falsification"
according to the "Public Health Service Policies on Research Misconduct".
According to Gary Nolan, U.S. Regional Director for Citizens Freedom Alliance,
"Americans should be angry about this waste of tax payer dollars. I truly
believe this study was released for purely political reasons and is an insult
to every honorable scientist in the world. The result of Carmona's ETS study
was to needlessly ruin business, cost jobs and harm the economies of local
communities and states across the country. He should be ashamed of his
actions."

Dr. Michael Siegel is a prominent doctor specializing in Preventative
Medicine and Public Health. From his commentary on Carmona's 2006 report, he
is quoted as saying, "The Surgeon General is publicly claiming that brief
exposure to secondhand smoke increases risk for heart disease and lung cancer.
But there is absolutely no evidence to support this claim. Certainly, no
evidence is presented in the Surgeon General's report to support this claim.
And certainly, the Surgeon General's report draws no such conclusion."
http://tinyurl.com/5fq7r6

Many researchers and prominent organizations have written about the
powerful influences of the anti-tobacco activists. Dr. Carl Phillips,
University of Alberta School of Public Health, Edmonton, Canada wrote
"Warning: Anti-Tobacco Activism May Be Hazardous to Epidemiological Science".
http://www.epi-perspectives.com/content/pdf/1742-5573-4-13.pdf . Other
articles such as "Science and Secondhand Smoke: the Need for a Good Puff of
Skepticism" by Sidney Zion (Skeptic, Volume 13, Number 3, 2007), "Where's the
Consensus on Second Hand Smoke?" by Joseph Bast of Heartland Institute, and
"Did Carmona Read His Own Report?" by Jacob Scullum with Reason Magazine
06/29/2006 http://www.reason.com/blog/show/114497.html are but a small
representation of the articles that give a glimpse of how damaging the
epidemic of anti-smoking is.

The fact is, the Surgeon General title is one that is held in highest
esteem. It is the medical authority in this country. When, for whatever
reason, that position is compromised into producing a report that wreaks the
damage his report has had on this country, that authority should be held
accountable. Carmona's 2006 report is the sole reason given for several
smoking bans, Ohio's ban for one. These bans have had devastating financial
impacts on businesses. The worst offense is the offense against the American
People and the Scientific Community. People will no longer be able to trust
the word of the person holding the Surgeon General title. The damage to the
science of Epidemiology is irreversible. The good news is many ethical
doctors and scientists can no longer remain silent about the abuses of
Epidemiology and are starting to speak out. "Because they've committed a huge
fraud on the American public. And because they should be held accountable for
that. They should be held accountable to the same rules of corporate and
individual behavior as everybody else. It's very simple." This is a quote by
Stanton Glantz during a PBS interview about Big Tobacco. Shouldn't the same
apply to the Surgeon General?