Cigarette smoke is racist! Or so some people are likely to conclude from a study recently described by Sally Satel (HatTip to Mychal Massie):
Cigarette smoke may not be an equal opportunity carcinogen. According to a report in last week’s New England Journal of Medicine, the same amount of cigarette smoke was associated with higher rates of lung cancer in African-Americans and Native Hawaiians than other groups. Despite comparable low-to moderate exposure, whites were about half as likely to develop lung cancer and Latinos and Asians were about half as likely as whites to develop it.
The whole article is well worth reading, since it goes on to discuss bias (or lack of it) in the medical profession.
“Cigarette smoke is racist! Or so some people are likely to conclude from a study recently described”
Who’s likely to conclude this?
There is nothing especially surprising about this study. After all, white people are more likely to develop skin cancer than are blacks from the same amount of sun-burn.
I think John’s point is that someone, somewhere, is going to link this to some sort of discrimination against blacks, whether in health care, nutrition, or health education.
“Cigarette smoke is racist! Or so some people are likely to conclude from a study recently described”
Who’s likely to conclude this?
Posted by: actus
Apparently, the US Department of Justice. See John’s Feb 9 post detailing that this agency believes disparate impact is the legal equivalent of discrimination.
I do love when liberals feign ignorance to avoid recognizing painful truths.