[AmishDude]

I have known three people who died of lung cancer, two of them were long-term smokers and the third was addicted to watermelons; I didn't take pleasure in their passing away and I don't think that this is a topic for derision.

Uh, Sarah Brady parlayed her husband's being shot into fame and (one can only suspect) fortune as an "anti-gun activist".

Watermelons? Is that a non-sequitor or did I miss something?

[Oschisms]

I have known three people who died of lung cancer, two of them were long-term smokers and the third was addicted to watermelons; I didn't take pleasure in their passing away and I don't think that this is a topic for derision.

Worth repeating. The best studies show that smoking increases the chances that you come down with lung cancer. But lots of smokers live way past the standard life expectancy and lots of lung cancer cases never smoked.

But somehow we've allowed smoking=lung cancer to become conventional wisdom.

Having said that, as an ex-smoker I can tell you your quality of life is higher when you're not a slave to tobacco.