Re:Alcohol 'more harmful than heroin'
by JoachimSchipper on Monday November 01, 2010 @05:54PM
(#1858382)
> Appeal to authority is a logical fallacy
Yes, but the comment I replied to was questioning their credentials, which is at equally invalid - more so, in this case, since they actually do have quite impressive credentials.
With respect to The Lancet: controversy sells, but you still want to have a credible argument.
You are right, though, that this isn't exactly objective and independent of current policy. Then again, it may be hard to get such data...
Do you really think the Lancet wants to get caught publishing highly controversial rubbish ("link bait")?
Um, The Lancet frequently publishes controversial articles. They published (and later retracted) a paper that claimed a link between vaccines and autism, they put out one of the highest death-toll estimates of the Iraq War, and they've called for a complete ban on tobacco products in the UK, to name a few.