[ETA: BI has weighed in, summarizing various other people engaging in debunkery of the Bilton Style piece. http://www.businessinsider.com/smartwatch-cancer-apple-watch-nick-bilton-new-york-times-wrong-2015-3]
But it dawned on me that I've heard the twin phrases "as dangerous as cigarettes" and "as dangerous as smoking" a lot lately. I think we should all collectively back away from this comparison, because, basically, nothing that people are proposing as dangerous as smoking/cigarettes actually is.
For your linkaliciousness, as dangerous as smoking:
Being alone: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/03/16/study-being-alone-as-bad-as-smoking-excessive-drinking/
Shaking hands: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/05/20/is-your-handshake-as-dangerous-as-smoking/
Egg yolks (to be fair, this guy is debunking) http://jonnybowden.com/egg-yolks-study/
Sitting: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2001824/Sitting-dangerous-smoking-study-shows.html
Eating animal protein: http://www.healthline.com/health-news/food-high-protein-diet-increases-mortality-risk-030414
(An incredibly confusing headline here, about the relative risks of e-cigarettes: http://www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/2015/feb/23/theres-no-evidence-e-cigarettes-are-as-harmful-as-smoking)
Hookahs: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249710.php
I've heard some researchers who have become advocates on this topic argue that waterpipes are actually worse than cigarettes.
http://feather-mag.com/4-unhealthy-habits-as-dangerous-as-smoking/
This has _4_ candidates: high protein, sitting, drinking soda and ... getting sunburned.
A few years ago, WHO weighed in against sunbeds:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/5928347/Sunbeds-are-as-dangerous-as-smoking.html
ETA: Cigarettes is a little different, some overlap such as hookah, and obvs cigars get brought up.
Hot dogs: http://naturalsociety.com/healthy-hot-dogs-hot-dogs-and-processed-meats-as-bad-as-cigarettes/
Soda again: http://www.mrc.org/articles/soda-pop-dangerous-cigarettes
