Tobacco Documents Online

*. .ti t. i. LETTERS TO THE•'EDITOR G`loudinb: the Issue of Secondhand Smoke vOBI S x1je itJajhigtou. Philip Morris's Thomas J. BoreIli (°The Smoking'Seare of the Week,' " letters, Aug. 201'asserts that there is no cause for concern about a recent article by Dr. Michael Sieget in JAMA, the rigorously peer-reviewed and scientifically prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association, which concluded that restaurant workers had much higher rates of lung cancer from secondhand smoke exposure than workers in most other trades. As a federal environmental scientist whose work was cited in Dr. Siegel's paper, I would like to ensure some truth in advertising. Mr. Borelli's polemic is nothing more than a thinly disguised ad homi- nem attack designed by tobacco in- dustry lawyers to malign a medical scientist by throwing around loaded terms like "scare of the week," "pre- determined condusion: "statistic shell game," "selected and biased" and "manipulated data." Mr. Borelli also attempts to discredit Dr. Siegel's. between ambient tobacco smoke and work by misusing scientific concepts lung cancer. This statement is un- of which the general public has little true. Our study revealed a significant understanding: 'statistical signifi- 30 percent inaeased' risk of lung cance,' "confounding factors." Mr. cancer among nonsmoking women Borelli broadsides the JAMA artide who were ezposed to high levels of for quoting studies out' of context and secondhand tobacco smoke. The con- cites the National Cancer Institute- dusions of our paper state: funded Brownson study in support of "In summary,, our study anil others his contention. Mr. Borelli, however, conducted during, the past decade flagrantly ignores the Brownson suggest a small but consistent eleva- study's primary conclusion, which has tion in the risk of lung cancer in been publicly endorsed by the Nation- nonsmokers due to passive smoking. al Cancer Institute: "Comprehensive The proliferation of federal, state and actions to limit smoking in public , local regulations that restrict smoking places and work sites are well ad- in public places and work sites is well vised-" founded." JAMES L. REPACE ROSS C. BROWNSON Bowie MICHAEL d. R. ALAVANJA  Columbia, Mo. Thomas J- Borelli presents inaccu- Tl+c writers are, nspectirxly, diaision rate information on our recently pub- director oJths bftsi»uri Department of lished study. He states that we found Health and speciat assistant for epids- no statistically significant relationship nriatogy National CaxterInstitute- ~tIDAY, S~stR 34 . 1'993 I ~'I 1