OK, I know this isn't finance-related, so that's why this is in the General forum. However,
this article evoked a strong reaction from me, and I just felt the need to share it somewhere. From the article:
Quote:
A smoker who died after battling emphysema has had his dying wish granted with the placement of a "Smoking killed me" sign on his hearse and his grave.
Albert Whittamore blamed his youthful smoking habit for the lung disease. He said before he died at age 85 in February that he wanted the sign to serve as a warning to young people about the dangers of tobacco smoking.
(Emphasis is mine)
Hang on a second - This guy has smoked his whole life, and lived to be 85! Last time I checked, that's a decade
longer than the average life expectancy! And we're supposed to feel cigarettes somehow robbed him of life? Sounds to me like the guy had a pretty good run, particularly for a lifelong smoker! How is this news, other than the sheer idiocy of it?
Aaaah, that feels better.
...Well i can say that smoking kills and one of the factors that can cause emphysema. Emphysema is a slow disease. It develops into a full blown disease over many years. So a person does not come to know if he is suffering from it until he finds it difficult to breathe. The effects of emphysema are permanent and irreversible. But a smoker can arrest further damage to his heart if he stops smoking immediately. A smoker can improve his lung function to a great extent by kicking the habit.