The World Health Organization (WHO) has =
been publicly=20
accused of suppressing information. Its opponents say that WHO =
has=20
withheld from publication its own report that was aimed at but =
supposedly failed to scientifically prove that there is an =
association=20
between passive smoking, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), =
and a=20
number of diseases, lung cancer in particular. Both =
statements are=20
untrue.
The study in question is a case-control =
study on the=20
effects of ETS on lung cancer risk in European populations, =
which has=20
been carried out over the last seven years by 12 research =
centres in 7=20
European countries under the leadership of WHO's cancer =
research=20
branch -- the International Agency for Research on Cancer =
(IARC).
The results of this study, which have been =
completely=20
misrepresented in recent news reports, are very much in line =
with the=20
results of similar studies both in Europe and elsewhere: =
passive=20
smoking causes lung cancer in non-smokers.
The study found that there was an estimated =
16%=20
increased risk of lung cancer among non-smoking spouses of =
smokers.=20
For workplace exposure the estimated increase in risk was 17%. =
However, due to small sample size, neither increased risk was=20
statistically significant. Although, the study points towards =
a=20
decreasing risk after cessation of exposure.
In February 1998, according to usual =
scientific=20
practice, a paper reporting the main study results was sent to =
a=20
reputable scientific journal for consideration and peer =
review. That=20
is why the full report is not yet publicly available. Under =
the=20
circumstances, however, the authors of the study have agreed =
to make=20
an abstract of the report available to the media.
"It is extremely important to note that the =
results=20
of this study are consistent with the results of major =
scientific=20
reviews of this question published during 1997 by the =
government of=20
Australia, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the =
State of=20
California", said Neil Collishaw, Acting Chief of WHO's =
Tobacco or=20
Health Unit in Geneva. "A major meta-analysis of passive =
smoking and=20
lung cancer was also published in the British Medical Journal =
in 1997.=20
From these and other previous reviews of the scientific =
evidence=20
emerges a clear global scientific consensus =97 passive =
smoking does=20
cause lung cancer and other diseases", he concluded.
"IARC is proud of the careful scientific =
work done by=20
the European scientific team responsible for this study", =
commented Dr=20
Paul Kleihues, the Agency's director. "We are very concerned =
about the=20
false and misleading statements recently published in the mass =
media.=20
It is no coincidence that this misinformation originally =
appeared in=20
the British press just before the No-Tobacco Day in the United =
Kingdom=20
and the scheduled publication of the report of the British =
Scientific=20
Committee on Tobacco and Health".
Further information on the health effects =
of passive=20
smoking is available in WHO's Advisory Kit for World =
No-Tobacco Day=20
1998 on the World Wide Web at www.who.ch/ntday, as well as =
from WHO's=20
Tobacco or Health Unit, Programme on Substance Abuse.
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