Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site cbosgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!cbosgd!mark 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.