[SWHouston]

bWY39, et All,

I apologize if my comment came across as insensitive, it's SO hard
to present a point of view on this type subject, when there are those
who have experienced such hardship.

I believe my initial reaction (not that you or anyone here has) is from
a preponderance of generalizations and assumptions concerning how
Smoking specifically effects one. I just snap and try to at least say
"let's look a the whole picture please" !!

Smoking Tobacco does one thing, and one thing only.
Tobacco contains narcotics. and
continued use of Tobacco, creates a habit.
And that's ALL that smoking does.

You can say that Tobacco contains carcinogenic material.
It sure does, but, so does the water we drink, the food we
eat and the clothes we wear. It's everywhere, and if you
consume/expose yourself to enough of any of these situations
you just may get Cancer. And, the onset of a problem, is not
any less or more obvious or catastrophic, than is that of the
result of Smoking.

Honestly, what we're talking about here, is an issue of susceptibility.
One's personal ability to resist the effects. It is unfortunate, that
we have created a world, which is replete with opportunities to resist.