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In following the "Radon Field Day"
string, I think this discussion is very appropriate for radsafe. In
years past I had occasion to review the "evidence" on harmful effects of
second-hand smoke and found it to be about as convincing as that for harmful
effects of low-dose radiation. While there is little doubt that high doses of
tobacco smoke received from primary smoking is dangerous, as is the
case with high doses of radiation, the results of studies on second hand smoke
appear to have been contrived to achieve the desired result - in this case to
restrict the use of tobacco (maybe that's also the case with radiation). This
sort of thing gives the government a license to "control" the hazard and
to tax it as a relatively easy source of revenue.
Since second-hand smoke is irritating
and offensive to many people (including me), the public readily accepts
implementation of these controls and taxes since to many people, there is little
distinction between what is harmful and what is unpleasant. Similarly, the idea
of being exposed to radiation (regardless of dose level) conjures visions of
Hiroshima and Chernobyl to a large segment of the public. Tobacco smoke and
low-dose radiation are both easy targets for government regulation. Whether or
not the public receives any real benefit from such government controls is
another question.
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