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From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: RADIOACTIVE CIGARETTE SMOKE
Message-ID: <1013@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-Feb-84 02:29:01 EST
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.1013
Posted: Sat Feb 25 02:29:01 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Feb-84 08:40:58 EST
References: <2563@azure.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Lines: 20

I think Eugene Z underestimates the power of nicotine addiction.
Have you ever seen someone who has had (smoking caused) cancer
of the throat?  They usually must have their larnyx removed.
This leaves them incapable of speaking in more than a whisper,
and they must usually resort to some mechanical device to be
understood.  They are left with a hole in their throat the
size of a nickel.

After going through all this, do they give up smoking?  No!
Most of them continue to smoke by holding the cigarette up
to the hole in their throat!

It takes a lot more willpower to quit smoking than just knowing
that you're getting a chest x-ray every day.  That's long term
and invisible and *might* hurt them some day.  Cancer is long
term and almost certainly *will* hurt them some day.  They know
this.  And they keep on smoking.

I can't fully comprehend it either.  I don't smoke and never have.
But the actions of those addicted speak for themselves.