SMOKING: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health
In April 1976, Calvin Russell Thompson II, or Rusty, my first nephew, died. He was 2 months old. His death was attributed to Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDs).
In September 1977, Katherine Loy-Richardson, my Aunt Kat, died. She was 52. Her death was attributed to breast cancer.
In February 1995, Rufus Loy, my father, was diagnosed as having cancerous growths in his throat and left shoulder. He underwent radical cancer therapy which included the removal of several lumps from his throat, the removal of portions of his jawbone and collar bone and intensive radiation treatments to destroy an inoperable tumor on the left side of his brain. This tumor could not be eradicated. On April 20 1995, my father died. He was 54 years young.
Three deaths which have been attributed to different causes, but have TWO very obvious connections. Those connections are the family relationship and presence of tobacco smoke in each of their environments.
English: Smoking any tobacco product, %, Females
Smoke
English: This photo illustrates smoke in a pub, a ...Tobacco smoke kills. Today I will present some information about both active smoking and passive smoking which will reaffirm you as a non-smoker, and redouble your efforts to live in a smoke free environment. Let's begin with the number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States, smoking.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), 419,000 American deaths are directly attributable to smoking each year, making it the most preventable cause of death in our society (1:). There are three major considerations each person must be aware of before lighting up their next cigarette. Consideration one: Smoking will cause a terminal disease eventually, as every smoker knows. This warning is not new; smokers have been taking the warnings in stride for many years despite irrefutable medical evidence that serious, life-shortening illnesses are caused by smoking.