A blog post and a lie from Dame Sally

[markm]

Earlier today amid an interview about smoking in cars Dame Sally Davies was
asked about ecigs, she made the claim that vapers had suffered chronic lung damage,
which is total hogwash.
this is the BBC page 
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31310685
which prompted this reaction from a blogger
fergusmason.com/?p=452

[jessica]

Please complain to the Department of Health and the BBC - it really doesn't take long to do.

Here's the link to complain to the Department of Health: link

Here's the info you need to put into the BBC complaints page before you get to write the specifics of the complaint:


Type of complaint: BBC News (TV Radio and website)
What is your complaint about:BBC News website
URL:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31310685
Complaint category:Factual error or inaccuracy

[VapingBad]

Feb 12, 2015 23:19:43 GMT jessica said:

Please complain to the Department of Health and the BBC - it really doesn't take long to do.

Here's the link to complain to the Department of Health: link

Here's the info you need to put into the BBC complaints page before you get to write the specifics of the complaint:


Type of complaint: BBC News (TV Radio and website)
What is your complaint about:BBC News website
URL:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31310685
Complaint category:Factual error or inaccuracy

I didn't hold back on either

[VapingBad]

BTW a link to the Farsalinos Diacetyl & Acetyl study link & remember it was crowd funded by consumers.

[Richard46]

Because of the source; the Chief Medical Officer; this lie needs nailing. Please consider making a complaint to the Department of Health;

www.info.doh.gov.uk/contactus.nsf/memo?openform

[jessica]

This is a very good read:

"Aunt Sally's Artifice - Deception – the unacceptable face of Public Health"

A feature on vapers.org.uk, written by Neil Robinson (@entropy72), just published

[macmagoo]

Complained to the DOH but I won't hold my breath.

[jessica]

Feb 14, 2015 22:51:01 GMT macmagoo said:

Complained to the DOH but I won't hold my breath.

Well done - if a lot of people complain it's a lot more likely to have an effect. 




Please see the link to Neil Robinson's post above if you want to learn more about the background to this.

[VapingBad]

I got a reply form the Beeb

Dear Mr [deleted]

Thank you for sharing your concerns about an interview with the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, broadcast on the BBC News Channel.

The main point of the interview was to get Dame Sally's views on the upcoming ban on smoking in cars with children. At one point presenter Gavin Esler asked if the ban also covered 'vaping'. Dame Sally explained that it would not and she went on to express her concerns about the potential health impact of e-cigarettes:

"They put in flavourings - we don't know the impact of those. Butterscotch had to be withdrawn because people got chronic lung disease."

This was seemingly in reference to a story broadcast by the BBC last year, where we found that an e-cigarette liquid manufacturer had included a potentially dangerous butterscotch flavouring in one of its products. Experts said that the flavouring, diacetyl, had been shown to cause very serious lung conditions in the past.

So Dame Sally was correct in that there had been a case of butterscotch flavouring being withdrawn over health concerns, although we appreciate that you feel this point could have been explored further. During a live interview it’s not possible to question a guest over every point they raise and, in this case, the main point of discussion was the upcoming ban on traditional cigarettes.

Once again, thank you getting in touch.

Kind Regards

BBC Complaints
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

NB This is sent from an outgoing account only which is not monitored. You cannot reply to this email address but if necessary please contact us via our webform quoting any case number we provided.

They dodged the fact she said "those butterscotch had to be withdrawn because people got chronic lung disease"

This was my original complaint:

In the video about 40% of the way down the page Professor Dame Sally Davies lied and was not challenged or asked for evidence to back up the lie. Specifically when asked about e-cigarettes she said "those butterscotch had to be withdrawn because people got chronic lung disease". This did not happen, there was a well publicised crowd funded paper sponsored by consumers to test e-liquids for the presence of Diacetyl & Acetyl which is associated with "popcorn lung" written by Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos (http://www.ecigarette-research.com/web/index.php/research/2014/178-da-ap). The results found by this research led to voluntary action within the sector to remove the products from sale and there were absolutely no reported cases of any lung damage.

Professor Dame Sally Davies is not a layperson and should not be allowed to use the platform provided by the BBC to spread blatant untruths.

Not got anything other than a confirmation from the DoH.

[Richard46]

Got the same reply from the BBC as has everyone apparently. Await response from the DoH but with breath unbaited.

[markm]

I just got the same, I have just forwarded it to my MP along with a rant about
Misleading reporting in tabloids and how we should hold BBC to higher standards.
I also explained that the effect on smokers, of the disinformation, is to keep them
Smoking. Thus inadvertently defending the tobacco industry.

[Richard46]

Actually on reflection I am feeling less happy about the BBC after reading their reply than before it.

Previously I was just concerned that they had let a false (or at best a completely misleading) statement be made unchallenged. I am now angry that they are actively supporting that statement. I really don't think it is their job as a news service to speculate on what interviewees mean. It is their job to get clarification.

I must admit I particularly admired the cheek of this bit;

'So Dame Sally was correct in that there had been a case of butterscotch flavouring being withdrawn over health concerns',

Well she would have been correct if that is what she had said. They have just made something up and are defending that instead of getting her to answer for what she actually said. Very worrying behaviour.


Dame Sally indeed!

[markm]

My MP seems interested, but he is a vaper

[Ripshod]

From markm's SSS thread

Three case reports of serious adverse events associated with electronic cigarette use have been published.
Two were respiratory illnesses (lipoid pneumonia and acute eosinophilic pneumonitis) and the other
cardiac (acute asymptomatic atrial fibrillation); in all cases the problems resolved when electronic
cigarette use ceased

So noone died Dame Sally?

ETA: Just pointing out the differences of opinion across our 'unified' health service.

[markm]

Feb 17, 2015 16:55:35 GMT Ripshod said:

From markm's SSS thread

Three case reports of serious adverse events associated with electronic cigarette use have been published.
Two were respiratory illnesses (lipoid pneumonia and acute eosinophilic pneumonitis) and the other
cardiac (acute asymptomatic atrial fibrillation); in all cases the problems resolved when electronic
cigarette use ceased

So noone died Dame Sally?

ETA: Just pointing out the differences of opinion across our 'unified' health service.

Those were unconnected with butterscotch flavour, so not covered by her comment.