Radio Host Donates Smokes for Soldiers

SKOKIE, ILL. — Radio host Mike North (search) took his show on the road for what he believed was a good cause: Collecting cigarettes for soldiers overseas.

North urged his listeners in Skokie, Ill., to donate cigarettes to be sent to the troops. He called the campaign “Smokes for Soldiers” (search) and said he got the idea from the picture of James Miller (search), the 20-year-old Marine in combat in Iraq photographed with a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

“His picture was plastered all over the newspapers and I started reading … and he says, ‘I’m just doing what’s supposed to be done, but guess what? There’s a shortage of cigarettes out here,’” North said.

The American Lung Association (search) opposes the “Smokes for Soldiers” drive, saying troops should be sent care packages that don’t kill, and distributed a memo from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (search) in which he advised that tobacco should be avoided because it impacts troop readiness.

“Tobacco use presents an immediate and real danger for our soldiers who are on the lines today,” said Joel Africk of the American Lung Association. More than 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related illnesses.

Everyone should give our guys a break. Smoking is one of the few pleasures from back home that the soldiers have. I say , smoke 'em if ya got 'em. They don't have them, so this guy did something about it. Cudos to him and his listeners.

"Marine Pfc. Douglas Lightheart (right) cradles his 30-cal. machine gun in his lap, while he and his buddy Pfc. Gerald Churchby take time out for a cigarette, while mopping up the enemy on Peleliu Is." Cpl. H. H. Clements, September 14, 1944.

To: foxnewsonline@foxnews.com ; topstories@foxnews.com ; jafrick@alamc.org
Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 9:51 PM
Subject: Radio Host Donates Smokes for Soldiers - Rebuttal

Fox News.com
Attn: Mr. Jeff Goldblatt

cc: Mr. Joel J. Africk, American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago

RE: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,141155,00.html

Bravo for radio host, Mike North! He has revived the true meaning of supporting our military men and women overseas because he cares, not because he wants force unwanted "for-your-own-good" mandates on them.

Referencing your news report, perhaps Joel J. Africk, CEO of the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago, should leave his air-conditioned offices at the ALA and visit our troops in Iraq to tell them personally about his views on the evils of smoking cigarettes. I'm sure they will be very receptive. It's cowardly to attempt control over their right-to-choice in Iraq from Skokie, Illinois.

In the interest of unbiased reporting, if you want to call attention to the fact that Skokie has a restaurant/bar smoking ban, you should also include that Skokie is one of only two Chicago suburbs (Wilmette being the other) with this kind of ban.

I would also like to see a copy of the referenced memo from Donald Rumsfeld (and distributed by the ALA) published for the public to review. I have been unable to locate it. Perhaps our Defense Secretary prioritizes controlling our military's tobacco consumption over the armored vehicles they so desperately need to save their lives.

Lastly, please do not allow a known representative of an anti-smoking organization (such as the American Lung Association) to throw out the number of "400,000 annual deaths attributed to smoking" so casually. At least get a reference source, because that figure has been thoroughly and repeatedly debunked by experts. In example, 'The 400,000-deaths figure is not a body count, but a 'COMPUTER-GENERATED estimate based on assumptions that are heavily biased'......" http://www.forces.org/evidence/files/marim.htm by Robert A. Levy and Rosalind B. Marimont and published by the Cato Institute.

Sincerely,
______________________________
Garnet Dawn - The Smoker's Club, Inc. - Midwest Regional Director
The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter - http://www.smokersclubinc.com
Illinois Smokers Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/illinoissmokers/
mailto:garnetdawn@comcast.net - Respect Freedom of Choice!

Er...lest we forget what prompted the soldiers being over there in the first place was.

With the job they are doing and that they are doing it for us, those Lilly livered, single minded, PC lovers at ALA can stuff it!

THAT is about the lowest self promotion that any organization could conjure and at the same time nothing mentioned about the troops and their gallant efforts on our behalf.

I think the following Vietnam era definition could be modified to cover the Iraq situation:

Optimist - An F-105 pilot worried about dying from lung cancer.

Not a soul on this thread could surpass your well stated conveyance to show the true idiocy of this press release by the ALA.

Very well said my FRiend!

I took on no disrespectful feelings toward the "THUD" from your post either!

THAT is about the lowest self promotion that any organization could conjure and at the same time nothing mentioned about the troops and their gallant efforts on our behalf.

The ALA are disgusting. They continually conjure up thoughts of limp wrist-ed, gutless girlie men, stuffing their pockets from the taxes smoker's pay on cigarettes. And they continually spew their pompous lies to continue to live in the lifestyle they have become accustomed, hoping the general public will continue to believe and support them.

Thanks to forum's like Free Republic, they are finally being showned for the money grubbers they are. How can anyone believe anything that the ALA puts forth now. If they can go after smokers for the sake of the cigarette tax dollars, what else are they growing rich on by taking stands on legal products?

I don't see the ALA having cigarettes banned! Do you?

Not only is this protesting of soldiers smoking ridiculous, but it is a load of crap, as well-my husband works at a VA hospital, and the comment about vets suffering from smoking is laughable and untrue.

We had to go to a VA hospital once. The hospital was over run with elderly VETS now from the VN war.

Limbless and wheeling themselves around in wheel chairs. And most are still smoking.

What is the harm? Cigarettes are legal. God bless the Vets!

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