Safer Alternative

Reader James Fulford points out that the American Cancer Society has corrected the misinformation about smokeless tobacco that I criticized in my column last week. When I looked at the relevant Web page on December 15, it said: "Some people believe that using smokeless tobacco is safer than smoking. This is not true."

The new version says: "Some people believe that using smokeless tobacco is a safe alternative to smoking. This is not true."

I'm not sure whether I can take credit for the switch from blatantly false to merely misleading. (Fulford notes that the ACS misstatement was also cited in a paper presented at a tobacco conference last February.) But it's nice to see a tiny step toward truth at an organization that many people look to for authoritative health information.

Comments

[chris]

Jacob, you are my hero. Honestly.

As a long-time user of smokeless tobacco, your articles have given me much ammunition against all those (read: anyone I've ever met) who take every opportunity to tell me that my using snuff is like putting a gun to my head.

[Warren]

So at this rate it will be... like what? 2112, before they admit that smoking pot is safer than injecting formaldehyde

[crimethink]

Warren,

No, I'm pretty sure that won't happen till the Social Security system collapses. And joe has assured me that will not happen within any of our lifetimes.

[joe]

Good for you, Jacob! With all the bitching I do about libertarians' unwillingness to take half a loaf and work for realistic change, I gotta give you props for this.