Marlboro man dies from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 72

Eric Lawson, who portrayed the rugged Marlboro man in cigarette ads during the late 1970s, has died. He was 72.

A smoker since age 14, Lawson later appeared in an anti-smoking commercial that parodied the Marlboro man and an “Entertainment Tonight” segment to discuss the negative effects of smoking. Susan said her husband was proud of the interview, even though he was smoking at the time and continued the habit until he was diagnosed with COPD.

“He knew the cigarettes had a hold on him,” she said. “He knew, yet he still couldn’t stop.”

A few actors and models who pitched Marlboro brand cigarettes have died of smoking-related diseases. They include David Millar, who died of emphysema in 1987, and David McLean, who died of lung cancer in 1995.

Should non-smokers pick up a part of the cost of smoker’s elevated needs?

Smokers pay more in insurance premiums, and also pay a fortune in cigarette taxes (which were allegedly enacted to offset the added "costs"). I've also never heard of insurers telling smokers that the extra they have paid into the system over the years can actually be applied to their out of pocket costs if they do get sick... their deductibles/costs are just the same as for folks who didn't pay extra all those years.

It could be argued that smokers die off quicker than their healthier counterparts, saving insurers/society in the long run by missing out on decades of life-saving treatments for other old-age illnesses.

Additionally, I could argue that other groups cost society more in a shorter time than smokers... the obese, the alcoholics being two major groups who have to contribute nothing financially to offset their lifestyles. Unlike smokers, these two groups tend to cost society in lost productivity on top of the medical costs.

In the age group from 20 to 65, if a person has a job that provides a health care package, they are all grouped in under a group plan. They don’t pay higher rates.

At retirement, the smoker can then sign up for Medicare and an HMO, PPO, or a PFFS plan. If they opt not to, they can also sign up for a Medicare Supplement plan under a process that is not medically tested. Another-words, there are no health questions. You’re just grandfathered in.

I agree that the tobacco taxes are very high. I don’t agree with that based on my assumption that none of the funds collected go to pay for the smoker’s negative impact on the system.

If a person is not able to get on a group plan for whatever reason, they then have to pay more. That’s probably a small portion of the public.

I believe there are debatable points about the heavy or alcoholics costing the system as much as a smoker does, and the fact they don’t pay a special fee. Taxes on liquor are not as high as the taxes on cigarettes, but those cigarette taxes are almost certainly spent on general budget things, not what it was intended for, or promised to be spent for.

In the age group from 20 to 65, if a person has a job that provides a health care package, they are all grouped in under a group plan. They don’t pay higher rates.

True... however the insurance companies have actuarial data and price the group plans according to their real world experience with these populations... so the smoking-related (and other) stuff is calculated in already.

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