Cirocco Jones

True enough, they won't all develop lung disease. They will be more likely to die of all types of cancer, have heart problems, be more likely to develop complications after surgery, during pregnancy, while on the Pill, etc etc etc. Not to mention harm others around them who don't even smoke. Such as their babies, who are more likely to be smaller and sicker and premature and die of SIDS; their children, who are more likely to develop asthma; their coworkers, who will have to work around their increased sick days and longer work breaks, and who are more likely to develop cancer, etc.


Overstating the problem just makes a lot of people believe there is no problem.
Especially when it's in their best interest to believe there is no problem. Such as smokers who blithely say, "My mom smoked till the day she died and never got lung disease, so what do those scientists know anyway?"

"Um. Right. Except she died of heart failure at age 58, after using up all her sick days every year, two of her kids had asthma, and her husband died of cancer. Probably none of that was related to her smoking. What do those scientists know. You're right, don't mind me, do light up."


(This is a bit of an eeeep topic with me here BTW - my mom and her husband, both smokers for decades, both died of cancer.)


It is a good example, I agree.