The National Women's Law Center and the Center for Women's Health at Oregon Health & Science University have just released a new study called "Women and Smoking." The study, ostensibly aimed at measuring how effective individual states have been at curbing smoking among women (a worthwhile cause, to be sure), unfortunately falls into the "ugly research" category in my book. And what is "ugly research," you ask? It's research that knows its conclusion before the study ever starts--or, in a word, it's propaganda. Hey, there's nothing wrong with propaganda, except when it tries to mask itself as "research." Consider this sentence from a story about the study in question: The study gave Montana a grade of "F" and ranked the state 35th among the states. Only two states -- Utah and Hawaii -- received a "satisfactory minus" grade. The nation as a whole failed. So let me get this straight: only two states in the ENTIRE UNION "passed" this study's test, and then only with "Satisfactory Minus" grades? Hey, that's fine--the National Women's Law Center and Oregon Health & Science University can say whatever they want, and get out the word about our country's miserable failures when it comes to stopping smoking. Just don't try to mask your opinions as impartial research. That smacks of exactly what the tobacco industry has done for years with its research: "Hey, we need to show smoking isn't a health hazard. Let's hire this scientist for a lot of money to create a study that proves it."