and made it to the ripe old age of 86.
= = = =
We do not understand how/why some individuals seem to have an immunity to smoke born carcinogens etc. But they do.
HOWEVER, SUCH INDIVIDUALS HAVE NO VALIDITY IN PREDICTING DEATH RATES AND SHORTENED LIVES OF THOSE WITHOUT SUCH GENETIC IMMUNITY.
This is not rocket science, folks.
Denial is not a route to enlightenment.
The standard for tracking mortality and the effects of pathogenic, carcinogenic and mutagenic agents is now based on birth to 100 years; after 70 years, most of the agent's effects are severely reduced as specific causal modalities.
Smoking shows marked reductions before age 70 which makes it a prime target for both research and abatement.
Society's interest in the health of its population is the subject of much political argument.