Thursday 5 August 2010

Thirdhand Smoke Research Expected To Show Exactly What Was Paid For

In June, VGIF highlighted a hefty $3.75 million Californian fund for coming up with more junk science to throw at tobacco. One particular aim was to further flog the dead horse of thirdhand smoke.

TRDRP Call for Applications

Request for Proposals for TRDRP Initiative on Thirdhand Smoke and Cigarette Butts

The Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) announces a Request for Proposals (RFP) to undertake studies on Thirdhand Smoke and Cigarette Butt Waste, under a new initiative.
It's worth reading the whole piece, if you haven't already, as background to the clear agenda behind such awards ... because they've now started doling the money out, as the University of California has found to its delight.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Tobacco-related disease kills more people worldwide than any other single factor. To help address this problem, the University of California, Riverside has received six grants from the University of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), the most TRDRP grants the campus has received in any year.
The economy may be screwed in California, but there's little sign of a recession in the tobacco control industry.

Of the $850,000 awarded, a sizeable chunk is directed towards trying to nail a half-believable thirdhand smoke scare.

[Manuela] Martins-Green will study the effects of this kind of smoke exposure on skin biology and wound healing. The two-year $250,000 grant will support one graduate student and one postdoctoral scholar. “I am expecting to find that prolonged exposure to third-hand smoke will affect the ability of the skin to protect us from environmental exposures,” she said. “I also expect that, when injured, the skin will not heal normally and could even result in wounds that become chronic.”
Isn't it good to know that academics still strictly adhere to the principles of detached impartiality and open-minded research, eh?


14 comments:

Anonymous said...

*Blech*

They're doing one to show that ecigs are harmful too.

Smoking Hot said...

Quote " 1) Determining the signal transduction and transcription activation mechanisms leading to expression of chemokines upon stimulation by stress-inducing agents associated with injury and tumorigenesis; (2) determining the functions of chemokines during wound healing and tumor development. To understand chemokine stimulation, we investigate (a) agents released upon injury, e.g. thrombin,(b) environmental toxicants, e.g. tobacco smoke,(c) radiation effects, e.g. ionizing radiation"

Science ... the new prostitution

Christopher Snowdon said...

Did they get a picture of her with a big cheque and a bottle of champagne?

McRantin said...

"when injured, the skin will not heal normally and could even result in wounds that become chronic."

Um, surely this "expected" phenomenon would be well documented by now? Were it true just about every smoker on the planet would be suffering from malignant wounds in some shape or form.

Bucko said...

They may as well give the money back and publish the report now.

Wasn't it the first study into third hand smoke that dubunked the idea. And then was used by the anti smoking lobby to actively promote the myth.

Fredrik Eich said...

Nice work if you can get it!

Anonymous said...

If the bastards get away with this 3rd hand smoke lie we will be forced to fight because we will be attacked in the street by all sorts of gullible nutters.

JuliaM said...

"The economy may be screwed in California..."

There's no 'may be' about that!

Anonymous said...

$3.75m has been paid to produce the reqired result. No problem there then-except that somehow the required result will be announced to the worlds ever hungry media, who will repeat, word verbatim, whatever shit is churned out!
Oh happy days-I don't think!

Anonymous said...

What a waste of money,that could have gone a long way to reassembling the dismembered bodies of Afghan women and children
blown to pieces by the US forces in their Peace Mission.



Screwed View

Dick Puddlecote said...

"the required result will be announced to the worlds ever hungry media, who will repeat, word verbatim, whatever shit is churned out!"

Sadly yes, but at least we now have an audit trail from inception to result. Investigative journalists will be falling over themselves to report on the scam.

Err, won't they?

Leg-iron said...

That settles it.

That cure for intestinal infection is getting nicotine added to it. It'll be for smokers only.

Antismokers can continue to suffer the gut bugs and shit through the eye of a needle while the smokers (and non-smokers who are sensible enough to realise it's harmless) get better.

Anonymous said...

Third hand junk science splashed all over the front page.
Can you just imagine the consequences.
It doesn't bear thinking about.
For example smokers who teach.
Smokers who have children.
Smokers who sit next to their collegues at work.
Smokers who sit down on the tube.
Aparthied here we come.
This one has to be stopped.
It's an evil notion dreamed up by some very sick people.
Why are we being dictated to by the mentally ill.
This is war.

Michael J. McFadden said...

LOL! Dick, we must have been channeling each other on Thursday. I did up a THS article for the smokersclubinc.com newsletter at some point early Thursday my time (afternoon your time) and then refined it off and on during the day. Love yer title, but I love mine too: "ThirdHand Smoke Causes LEPROSY!"

LOL!

:>
Michael J. McFadden
Author of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains Without Catching Leprosy"