IF YOU ASK THE QUESTION, "WHAT IS THE RISK," YOU ARE ASKING THE
WRONGQUESTION
Bernhardt Lieberman* and Stephen Feingold**
Departments of Sociology and Psychology, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, USA
+*
Department of History, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania,15213, USA
ABSTRACT
A recent editorial in an influential journal on "rhe Great
Overcoat Scare," while satirical, presented a serious condemmation
of false accusations of menace against substances of everyday
lifel.
Here we discuss and reveal the social bias and the
violations of the norms of science present in the iiterature
linking environmental tobacco smoke (ETs) to lung cancer.
We
stress the importance of incluaing social inquiry in risk analyses
and question the adequacy of "scientific" risk analysis.
Yes its rotten science but it's in a worthy cause.
It will help us get rid of cigarettes and become a
smoke-free society.
Alvan Feinstein, Sterling Professor of Medicine
and Epidemiology, Yale University School of
51757
Medicine, quoting an authoritative leader in the
4050
