[Imaverygooddriver]

Listen, I can tell my lungs are already damaged and I am dying. When I sleep at night and I cough, my right lung makes popping noises if you can believe it. Don`t know if I have lung cancer, maybe I do, but I can tell you right now I won`t live very long. Nicotine is the most addictive drug on this planet. Malcolm X said when he was young he was addicted to every drug he could lay his hands on, heroin, cocaine, marijuana. He was able to quit all of them except nicotine.

The government bans drugs that are far less damaging and addicting, marijuana being number one, yet alcohol and nicotine, two of THE most harmful addictive drugs on this planet are kept legal solely to support this country. The melody of the National Anthem of this country is from an old beer drinking song, you watch TV, alcohol is promoted relentlessly, sports and alcohol are promoted relentlessly, yet alcohol destroys more lives than every other drug combined.

I use to work in a hospital and I can`t tell you how many people I met who were hospitalized because of alcohol. On the other hand I barely remember anyone hospitalized for any other drug. It was always cancer from smoking and failed liver from drinking.

The fact is everyone is responsible for their own behaviour. We live in a free society, and being that I am a nicotine junkie is nobodys fault but my own. This country may support itself by blood money. RINO Bloomberg of New York may tax the hell out of cigarettes to support New york liberal socialist programs and to cover leech lawsuits and pay phony union workman comp claims, but in the end everyone is responsible for their own health, and when I die from smoking and put my familiy in agony it is my own fault and I will never ask the government to ban cigarettes or alcohol or guns or anything else. In a free society, each man is a country unto his own. That is the price of freedom. I`m sorry your father died, but he is responsible for his death, not Phillip Morris or anyone else. You on the other hand quit and you are responsible for your continued good health.

[Les_Miserables]

Yep but teenagers the scum bags hook on nicotine (telling them all the while it is not addictive) are still scum bags. The fact is I could not have broken the addiction without the help of that product that mysteriously disappeared after a brief market appearance. Liggett Myers has tried to introduce a similar product but cannot call it a smoking cessation aid because the FDA will force them into trials that will never be approved (you understand the FDA, I can tell from your post.)
The fact is some of us are not strong enough to break the addiction that was started when "it was cool" to smoke and no damn warning was either on the package nor would probably have been heeded by a stupid teenager. I know 'cause I was one when I started. Don't get your back up at me. Smoke away. But don't pretend the tobacco companies had no part in purposefully addicting millions of people (mostly teens who are not noted for really great judgment) and that it was just purely a matter of choice. After you have made the dumba$$ mistake of beginning to smoke as a teen you find yourself hooked on something stronger than you are. And Phillip Morris and all the rest of them knew it, still know it, and are still hooking children on stuff that kills. To pretend it is only a matter of choice is pure Bovine Excrement and you know it deep inside. Like I said puff away , smell as bad as you like, but let's be honest about how all of us really got where we are. As you said nicotine is the most addictive drug on the planet. The conclusion from that statement with which I agree is logically the tobacco companies are the largest and most egregious dope pushers on the planet only they are legal. whoopee for the difference.Didn't mean to start a flame war. Have it you way but for those non-smokers who may read this please understand what you are dealing with before you think of starting.