Re: Science and LNT

["Howard Long" <hflong@pacbell.net>]

John,

Please answer the crucial question.

Why are radiation regulators allowed to neglect benefit, (2 way test) in

risk analysis?



Errors of omission are just as serious as errors of commisssion!

It is time for HPs to lead changes in those "codified - exposure controls"!



Howard Long



----- Original Message ----- 

From: "John Jacobus" <crispy_bird@yahoo.com>

To: "Howard Long" <hflong@pacbell.net>; <niton@mchsi.com>;

<radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 7:29 AM

Subject: Re: Science and LNT





> Howard,

> Unfortunately, regulations are not medicine.  Issues

> like exposure controls, EPA decommission, etc. are

> codified.

>

> In medicine you have a wide latitude to make decisions

> on whether or not to operate.  You should be grateful

> you do have to deal with interpretation of regulations

> and periodic inspections.  (When was the last time

> inspections reviewed your records on how you treated

> your patients?)

>

> --- Howard Long <hflong@pacbell.net> wrote:

> > LNT is NOT "the best we can do today- unless that

> > possibility [it disproven]

> > were a virtual certainty".

> >

> > Do you have "virtual certainty" of safety when you

> > drive your car?

> >

> > What is the harm from NOT driving your car, or of

> > NOT having the now likely

> > benefit of 10 X the usual background radiation (less

> > cancer and better

> > longevity)?

> >

> > Is it prudent to not operate on appendicitis because

> > of the risk of surgery?

> > Sometimes.

> > Competent risk analysis requires the 2-tail test,

> > weighing BENEFIT against

> > harm and considering individual variation.

> >

> > . . .

>

> =====

> "Self-criticism is the secret weapon of democracy, and candor and

confession are good for the public soul."

> Adlai Stevenson

>

> -- John

> John Jacobus, MS

> Certified Health Physicist

> e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com

>

> __________________________________

> Do you Yahoo!?

> The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search

> http://shopping.yahoo.com

>





************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/