As far as the 'benefits' of smoking are concerned... I've been in Europe several times this year and, one thing you can't miss is how many people smoke there. The second thing that's hard to miss is how much fatter the Americans are. I don't know if it's smoking that's keeping the Euros thin or it's the lack of it or maybe that PLUS television that makes our compatriots fat but... it's only an observation. I would suspect that lots of people who don't die of lung cancer in the U.S. because they no longer smoke may be heading to an early grave courtesy of various obesity-related diseases.
Shs= second hand smoke.
You are right about Europe, they smoke more, they eat rich food, they are not obese, and in general they have a longer life span. I don't think smoking is keeping them from obesity, rather it is a more active life style, and that wasn't something they had to work on....... it's their culture.