The Media, Health Risks, and False Alarms

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Recommended: The impact of mass media on health trends

Media's False Alarms on Health Risks

Every week seems to bring new media reports about dangers to our health. In fact, many of the scare stories are superficial, if not downright wrong and baseless.

Take the announcement that Swedish scientists had discovered that acrylamide, a chemical substance present in french fries and potato chips, causes cancer. "Tests which confirm the existence of a possible cancer-causing chemical in much of the food we eat are causing worldwide concern," the British Guardian warned May 18. It told readers that British scientists had also detected "the potential carcinogen in cooked potatoes, crisps, breakfast cereals and rye crispbreads."

In the United States, the San Francisco Chronicle reported June 28 on the World Health Organization meeting convened in Geneva to discuss the problem. "The overriding thing the committee concluded is that, given that we know acrylamides are cancer-causing in animals and probably in humans, it is intolerable that they are in foods at the levels found, and we have to find a remedy," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.

Steven Milloy, the author of the book, Junk Science Judo, published an article July 3 in the Washington Times that cast doubt on the WHO claim...

... middle of paper ...

...But, to paraphrase another, "Not all numbers are equal." Which is something readers would do well to remember in reports on science and medicine.

Sources Cited and Consulted:

Hormone Replacement Therapy Study Halted.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/conditions/07/09/hormone.therapy/

American Council on Science and Health. Cancer Data from Costly Animal Experiments Grossly Misinterpreted, Says Scientific Panel. July 21, 1997. www.acsh.org.

American Council on Science and Health. False Cancer Warning Over Laxatives: Corporations Can Engage In Mouse Terrorism, Too. June 3, 1997. www.acsh.org.

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