International Journal of Epidemiology Publishes Fatal Scientific Errors in Waterpipe"™ “Systematic Review” Hyping Health Hazards

First 200 words tapped from the Knol Hotline :

“This is a critique of Elie Akl et al (University of New York at Buffalo) “Systematic Review” of the Cochrane type on the “Effects of Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking on Health Outcomes” recently published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE).

The paper hypes the HAZARDS OF CANCER and the authors managed to select only the studies they saw relevant for their “assessment” of “health outcomes”, cancer in particular. As expected from antismoking researchers, they dismissed (details given in their “eligibility criteria”) the most relevant studies when they did not find a sufficient cancer risk.

Amazingly, they mostly relied on studies led in China based on water pipes workin with NO charcoal and in which tobacco is BURNT as in cigarettes, contrary to what the authors believed… This point is certainly not a detail because the chemistry of smoke is completely different…

As we pointed out elsewhere, the right place to discuss a controversial paper containing serious errors and biases is the journal in which it was published. Unfortunately, for political (and not scientific) reasons, this is not always possible.

When confronted with this problem, the IJE, a journal which has apparently adopted a clear antismoking line, rejected a critique of the flawed paper. Interestingly, they accepted a Letter [Comment from the Observatory: really vapid, man !] by Wasim Maziak, the [undeclared for 2 years] author of the WHO flawed report on ““waterpipe””™ smoking and renown ““waterpipe”” antismoking researcher...[cont. here]”

The full references (as provided from the source) of the article are :

Akl E, Gaddam S, Gunukula SK, Honeine R, Abou Jaoude P, Irani J. The effects of waterpipe tobacco smoking on health outcomes: a systematic review. International Journal of Epidemiology. Advance Access published online on March 4, 2010.

The authors have “conducted a systematic review using the Cochrane Collaboration methodology for conducting systematic reviews”. And d’you know what happened, folks ? Nothing but systematic errors and biases because of an antismoking agenda and an intent to save the face of the experts who prepared the WHO calamitous report !

Have you ever heard of the Farmington Consensus ? of Robert West’s patent on an “electronic nicotine gadget” ? So, rush to that knol right now !

CONCLUSION

As in the case of the rubbish Autralian story about pig blood in cigarette filters recently raised by antismoking activist Simon Chapman, the Observatory on Hookah or Health has decided to also grant similarly the “Haram Science” and “Treif Science” Award to the so-called “International Journal of Epidemiology”.

“Haram” and “Treif” ? … What’s this ?

RELEVANT READINGS

On similar corrupt journals boasting of being independently “peer-reviewed”:

The “Nicotine and Tobacco Research” Journal Endorses a Scientific Error as Big and Carcinogenic as a Yemeni Narghile Bowl !

(note: a dangerous religious sect…)

““Waterpipe””™: Time for Action on Scientific Integrity and Accountability, Sacking, and Paying Back Funding of Useless Biased ““Waterpipe””™ Research

(note: Robert West’s “Addiction” journal, in which he organized a “debate” on ““waterpipe””™ between Maziak and Maziak…)

«Health Debate» Between Maziak and… Maziak ! Renewed Antismoking Media Propaganda by “Journalist” Matt Erickson for The Kansas City Star

For a Handful of Dollars… WHO Group Funds Biased and Erroneous Shisha Study in Pakistan

Mind Boggling Epidemiology and Geopolitics ! New US-Syrian ““Waterpipe””™ Study in IJTLD Regards Israel as Part of the Arab World !

International Journal of Public Health Endorses Multiple Errors by US-American University of Beirut Team. Violation of Biomedical Publication Ethics

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