U.S. Surgeon General Quits

[babylonsister]

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/surgeon_general.html

U.S. Surgeon General Quits
Richard Carmona Highlighted Dangers of Obesity, Second-Hand Smoke

August 1, 2006

U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who highlighted the dangers of obesity and second-hand smoke, has quit, effective July 31, just a month after he released a comprehensive report on the dangers of secondhand smoke. A letter circulated on Capitol Hill informed Hill staffers of his resignation.

It's unclear who decided it was time for Carmona to go. The former trauma surgeon reportedly plans to return to his home in Tucson, Arizona. Although public health advocates were pleased with his report on secondhand smoking, they were often critical of Carmona for failing to act more forcefully.

"Went out with a whimper, didn't he?" Arizona heath department spokesman Michael Murphy quippted, according the Arizona Daily Star.

"The surgeon general job is one with enormous potential to improve the public health of the entire nation, and several have done just that," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen. "But Carmona's reign has been a relatively inactive one. It's hard to remember another surgeon general who was so largely invisible as he has been, and that's a tragedy."

Others defended Carmona for doing the best he could in a pro-business administration.

more...

[CatWoman]

1. what the????

It's going to be interesting at work tomorrow.........

[Fridays Child]

4. It'll be ineresting to see what he has to say. He's never been one...

...to shy away from controversy. I hope he doesn't start now.

[asthmaticeog]

2. I've never even heard of him.

Weird.

[CatWoman]

3. I have, as I work at the CDC

this is very strange, tho.

[asthmaticeog]

6. How so?

Forgive me, I'm still a bit stunned at the realization that our SG has been so low-profile I drew a blank at his name - what's odd about his departure?

[CatWoman]

7. I mean, of all the cabinet members, this one affects us directly

and I have heard no whispers, rumors, etc.

This came completely out of the blue.

[asthmaticeog]

8. Ah ha.

Well, maybe you'll have some interesting insights as the week goes by?

[CatWoman]

10. lol

will gladly share.

on an aside: that photo in your sig line completely creeps me out. I know I 've told you that before :hi:

[asthmaticeog]

14. I know, and you're not the only one...

but I can't get rid of it. It'd be like severing a limb, I've had it so long now.

[panader0]

5. People around here (So Az.) were proud to have Carmona as S.G.

I'll bet the tobacco lobbies may have had a hand in this.

[maxsolomon]

9. remember Jocelyn Elders?

crucified for saying that Yanking It wasn't the end of the world. pitiful. this country is pitiful.

[CatWoman]

11. that was sooooo fucked up!!!

it was Newt and company in their quest to lynch her.

[LincolnMcGrath]

12. The Marlboro Militia strikes again.

:yoiks:

[unblock]

13. "quippted"?

:rofl:

[acmejack]

15. "I think he was in a tough time,"

"I think he was in a tough time," said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. "Here you have a guy who had significant experiences in preparedness and trauma and emergency care, and I wish we had used him more effectively in that role."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/31/AR2006073100974.html