By E-mail and fax
Dean Alfred Sommer
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
615 N. Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21205
Dear Dean Sommer:
I am writing as an alumnus of the School of Public Health (MHS
'83) to express my disappointment with the fund-raising brochure I
received accompanied by your letter dated January 6, 1999.
The brochure appears to equate some of the greatest public
health achievements ever with some of the best examples of "junk
science" ever. This is outrageous.
The brochure rightfully highlights:
But the brochure also highlights "Jonathan Samet's landmark
work on radon exposure, air pollution and tobacco use [that] allows
us all to breathe easier."
"Landmark?"
Samet has made a career out of weak association epidemiology,
attempting to link residential radon exposure with lung cancer, air
pollution with premature mortality and environmental tobacco smoke
with lung cancer.
While Samet certainly deserves credit for succeeding with
questionable statistics developed from dubious data, somehow this
does not rate with eradicating small pox, chlorinating water
supplies or other notable public health accomplishments.
To the extent Samet's work in the highlighted areas endures,
it will be because of political appeal, not scientific merit or
public health consequence.
The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has an unparalleled
record of achievement. If Samet's work is representative of the
significance of Hopkins' current efforts, perhaps it's time to
rethink the School's mission.
I urge this brochure be withdrawn immediately.
Sincerely,
Steven J. Milloy
Publisher, Junk Science Home Page