SMOKING cigarettes and eating smoked meats have a lot in common: They may cause cancers. Most of us are concerned about our health, and we expect the State to alert us to hazards. Cabinet did a good job on tobacco — which accounts for some 86 per cent of lung cancers, though initiated by developed countries based on the burden on health care. The World Health Organization’s report on processed foods and cancer released in October sparked no similar action as for tobacco. Why? …more on this later.

In terms of smoking, it should be made clear whether the rules for tobacco apply to ganja. Does ganja smoke cause cancer? The epidemiological data for this illegal substance would not be replete, but what do medical people say? We know our effort is piqued by international interest, but we are on our own; as ganja is illegal among trading partners we rely on for data on things. Will we do research and publish reports? Will we await our epidemiological data over the next 10 years to arrive at a conclusion? Or can we make some inference about ganja smoke and cancer today and save ourselves grief?

We are on our own frolic with smoking cannabis and the commercial medical prospects, but what research is being done on the adverse health prospects? Will the ganja firms pay? The advantages of late-coming is that we benefit from the research done by others, but we are now pioneers and have research responsibilities.

Have we started? When will we inform the world of the health impacts of ganja so they may get to our high stage of freedom without trauma? By headlines we hear the Diaspora is to invest, yet they have never invested in telecoms, housing, hospitals, geriatric care, a toll road or bridge. Even food for hungry bellies did not turn the Diaspora on — cannabis did. Wow! Let’s see what they deliver.

What public health research is being funded at our universities? Which are the firms behind it? When will we tax ganja for smoking as we did tobacco to fund the collateral damage and research and development? What lessons from tobacco? What research will be in place so, by 2020, we can tell the world our pulmonary and mental health status based on smoking ganja? Are trials underway with controlled groups and findings to be released in medical journals? The ganja lobby has gone silent. Why?

Smoke and cancer is also in the news; this time as a process of preserving meats. The link between processed meats and cancer is known. Smoke is supposed to be an antioxidant; smoking is the oldest method of preserving meats and is today used to make popular tasty meat dishes. The buccaneers at Port Royal were the first to jerk meats and did a roaring export trade to shippers and pirates. The technology was lost then restored a few decades ago and is now global.

The World Health Organization spoke out recently — decades of research and over 800 studies. The Gleaner of October 27 reports: “Based on the evaluation the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, noting links in particular to colon cancer.” A meagre flurry of comment followed, then dead silence.

I waited for a few weeks to see what traction this would have, but not a smidgen of concern. Do our culinary or health ginnigogs have anything to say? Do they defend health or other interests? What is their position on jerk pork? Are we eating ourselves into a cancerous grave? High consumption of smoked, grilled or barbecued meats is associated with high incidence of prostate, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. We are huge consumers of meats processed using preservatives — salt beef, pork and fish — for decades. This accounts for some 21 per cent of bowel cancers in other societies. Who has our data on this negative dietary predisposition? Is there a conspiracy of silence? Peeps say no news is good news. I beg to differ. Jerk pork, sausage and chicken are local delicacies and standard fare of lunch counters. What’s the risk? Will someone please tell us?

The “jerk” process involves smoking meats over coals, so the heat filters through a bed of fragrant pimento wood and leaves, slowly infusing the meat to produce a succulent dish. The piece de resistance is jerk pork. As with ganja use, we are out front with jerked meats — both risqué with no international body of research as we had with tobacco. We do little research and are notorious for “winging it” with things which may put our people in harm’s way. It is a slippery slope!

The developed world eats meats processed using chemicals — salt, preservatives to make ham, bacon, sausage, salami, etc. We eat meat processed by smoking on a jerk pit, where high temperatures can produce carcinogenic elements. Recently it has morphed to “jerk in a bottle” — a sauce to mimic the same effect, though far from the pork pit. If the analysis is correct, this makes jerk accessible and distances it from carcinogenic tars and toxic smoke. Will signs as “Ganja smoking is bad for your health” appear on Rizzla, or “Jerk pork can cause cancer” appear in public spaces? Stay conscious, my friend!

POLICE: Crime in St Andrew East Rural

The security forces should pay attention to the districts of Two Pass and Hall’s Delight, a mile from Papine across the Hope River en route to Dallas, as residents are terrified. Criminal gangs are building shacks in the forestry lands by scrapping houses — zinc, lumber, even appliances — when people are away at work. The police must act now!

Dr Franklin Johnston is a strategist, project manager and advisor to the minister of education. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com