First off, allow me to address Daniel Gibson. I was not defending smoking, rather I was defending one’s right to basic human dignities such as not having to smoke in the rain as opposed to under an awning. A 300-word limit is an awful constraint with respect to argument clarity. Apologies.
It is my mother who is the heavy smoker. Smoking is bad. I do not smoke. I’m sorry your life is so fraught with woe from smoking, and it’s unfortunate your relatives made the poor decision to smoke (and keep smoking) just as it is that my mother smokes and will continue to do so until it kills her (unfortunately). That being addressed, we’ll move on.
I noticed your assertion of smoking being the number one cause of lung cancer. Now, let’s get some perspective here. In 2006 there were 3,400 lung cancer deaths among nonsmoking adults (American Cancer Society); in 2005 there were 16,885 drunk driving related deaths (CDC.gov); in 2004 there were 3,308 unintentional drowning deaths (CDC.gov).
Let me be explicit here. I’m not applying rank to deaths or attempting to diminish any of the statistics’ impact. The purpose here is to demonstrate another annoying (and exploitative) ploy by anti-smoking advocates to exaggerate the gravity of open-air environment secondhand smoke.
What my point is now (and was in my prior letter) is that trace whiffs of secondhand smoke are hardly a “keel over and hack out one’s lungs” occurrence. No more so than when a bus drives and exudes a cloud of particulate diesel aftermath. If one is so sick that this does present imminent danger, then perhaps you should consider living in an iron lung and taking online classes. The world is far too dangerous for you.
-Ben Hughes

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