March 1998 the World Health Organisation was forced to admit that the results of a seven-year study (the largest of its kind) into the link between passive smoking and lung cancer were not 'statistically significant'. This is because the risk of a non-smoker getting lung cancer has been estimated at 0.01%. According to WHO, non-smokers are subjecting themselves to an increased risk of 16-17% if they consistently breathe other people's tobacco smoke. This may sound alarming, but an increase of 16-17% on 0.01 is so small that, in most people's eyes, it is no risk at all.

Case against passive smoking rests on an absurdity

Writing in the Daily Telegraph (24 March 199 , medical editor Dr James Le Fanu replied to claims that he had misled readers about the WHO study by pointing out that the case against passive smoking rests on an absurdity (ie 'that it allegedly causes a type of cancer in non-smokers, adenocarcinoma, known not to be related to smoking'). Referring to an editorial on ETS in The Lancet that identified 'a special risk with adenocarcinoma in contrast to the squamous cancers of the airways seen most often in active smokers', Le Fanu wrote, 'Passive smoking cannot conceivably cause lung cancer.'

A further critique of WHO's ETS study, which appeared in the Economist (15 March 199 , pointed out that, 'It is dangerous to become involved in campaigns that are not solidly based on scientific evidence' and added: 'Although passive smoking is unpleasant and irritating for non-smokers, that alone cannot justify banning it in public places.'

A year later, in July 1999, in its draft Approved Code of Practice on Smoking at Work, the United Kingdom's Health and Safety Commission declared that, 'Proving beyond reasonable doubt that passive smoking ... was a risk to health is likely to be very difficult, given the state of the scientific evidence.' Interestingly, the UK Government has yet to implement the ACoP, which may have something to do with the lack of conclusive evidence about passive smoking and ill health.

Greater London Assembly report

Worse was to follow for anti-smoking campaigners. In April 2002, following an exhaustive six-month investigation during which written and oral evidence was supplied by organisations including ASH, Cancer Research UK and FOREST, the Greater London Assembly Investigative Committee on Smoking in Public Places declined to recommend ANY further restrictions on smoking in public places, stating very clearly that it is not easy to prove a link between passive smoking and lung cancer.

As joint author of the report, Angie Bray put on record her opposition to a total ban on smoking in public places in a letter to the Daily Telegraph (5 July 2003). According to Bray, 'The assembly spent six months investigating whether a smoking ban should be imposed in public places in London. After taking evidence from all sides, including health experts, it was decided that the evidence gathered did not justify a total smoking ban.'

British Medical Journal report

Most recently of all, an explosive new study that seriously questions the impact of environmental tobacco smoke on health was published by the British Medical Journal (16 May 2003). According to the study, one of the largest of its kind, the link between environmental tobacco smoke and coronary heart disease and lung cancer may be considerably weaker than generally believed.

The analysis, by James Enstrom of the University of California, Los Angeles and Geoffrey Kabat of New Rochelle, New York, involved 118,094 California adults enrolled in the
American Cancer Society cancer prevention study in 1959, who were followed until 1998. Particular focus was on the 35,561 never smokers who had a spouse in the study with known smoking habits.

The authors found that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, as estimated by smoking in spouses, was not significantly associated with death from coronary heart disease or lung cancer at any

Put an X in de 1 dat applys 2 u, de one with de most x's is de 1 dat u are!
--country folk--
[ ] Do you have a couch in your front yard or porch?
[ ] Do you drive four-wheelers?
[ ] Do you ride four-wheelers?
[x] Do you like to get dirty?
[ ] Do you like country music?
[ ] Do you have a broken car in your back yard?
[ ] Do you own a cowboy hat?
[ ] Do you live on more then 2 acres?
[ ] Do you have more then 4 different animals at your home?
Total X: 1

--Goth--
[ ] Do you wear black eyeliner?
[X] Is most of your clothing dark?
[X] Do you think about death often?
[ ] Do you want to die?
[ ] Are you a social outcast?
[ ] Are you pale? Im not exactly tanned?
[ ] Do you like Hot Topic?
[X] Do you enjoy Tim burton movies?
[ ] to boys! when they are CHUBBAY] Are you mean?
Total X: 3

--Punk--
[ ] Can you skateboard? I bloody wish!
[x]Do you wear Vans?
[x] Do u do stupid stuff with your friends?Roll down hills
[ ] Have you gotten in trouble with the Cops?
[ ] do you watch the x-games?
[ ] Do you have any piercings?
[ ] Do you like/wear mohawks?
[x] Do you wear Band t-shirts?
[ ] Have you called someone a poser recently?
Total X: 3

--Prep--(d4)
[x] Do you say the word "like"?
[ ] Do you shop at Hollister/Abercrombie&Fitch/Aero?
[ ] Do you pop the collar?
[ ] Do the people in Hot topic scare you?
[ ] Is the only nerd you like Seth Cohen?
[ ] Do you watch LAGUNA BEACH?
[ ] Do you like pop music?
[ ] Do you want/have a little dog? Pah get sum balls.. lol
Total X: 1

--Hippie--
[x] Is your hair long?
[ ] Do you own a tye-dye shirt?
[ ] Do You want to save the animals?
[x] Do you think war is unneccesary?
[ ] Do you like classic rock ?
[ ] Have you ever participated in a protest?
[ ] Have you ever been overcome with a desire to hug a tree?
[ ] Have you ever Smoked Pot?
Total X: 2

--Gangsta--
[ ] Do you act ghetto?
[ ] Do you wear do-rags?
[ ] Do you like hip-hop?
[ ] Was Tupac truly the greatest rapper in the world?
[ ] Do you believe he's alive?
[ ] Do you like afros? they like oooooooooo
[ ] Have you ever said "Fo Shizzle"?
[ ] Do you like to dance?
[ ] Do you own any Baby Phat or G-Unit?
Total X: 0

--Emo-
[ ] Do you cry often?
[X] Do you wear hoodies?
[ ] Do you like soft music?
[x] Do people not understand you?
[ ] Do you write your own poems?
[x] Ever dyed your hair red, black or dark?
[ ] Do you cut your own hair?
[X] Are you lonely?
[ ] Is "Ohio for lovers" by Hawthorne Heights, a good song?
Total X: 4

--Surfer--
[ ] Do you surf?
[ ] Do you wear flip flops year-round?
[ ] Is your hair shaggy?
[ ] Do you wake up before 6 every morning?
[ ] Do you own any pairs of shorts?
[ ] Are you tan?
[ ] Do you want to be at the beach right now?
[ ] Do you hate tourists?
Total X: 0

--Geek--
[ ] Do you wear glasses?
[ ] Do u get good grades?
[ ] Do you use an inhaler?
[X] Do you stick pens and calculators into your shirt pockets?
[ ] Does your mom pick out your clothes?
[x] Are you on the computer often?
[ ] Do you look forward to going to school
[ ] Are you shy around the opposite sex?D
[x] Do you play video games?
Total X: 3

--Metal Head--
[ ] Do you own a Warlock?
[x] Do You Like Heavy Solos?
[X] Do you own any Iron Maiden Albums?
[ ] Do You Head Bang?
[x] Is Your Hair Long?
[ ]is "Number Of The Beast" by Iron Madien a great song?Dunno:S
[x] Are you listening to Metal Now?
Total X:4

wahhhhhhhhhhh hahahahahahahahhaha i sit here in silence slowly thinking of revenge how will i winnnnnnnnnnnnnn winnnnnnnnnnnnnn winnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!