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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cary Salsberg who wrote (36697)	8/12/2000 11:53:26 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 70976

Cary, It is a view that can only be held by one with diminished mental capacity. Many who know me personally probably would not argue this:-) However, looking at the patterns of smoking in and of themselves, one cannot maintain that cigarettes are a causal factor in cancers, when done in moderation. How many people who smoke are genetically predisposed to cancer before they take their first puff? We may never know the number, but be sure it is significant. Over the decades, the use of pesticides and other environmental pollutants have dramatically reduced sperm count in men. If these affect one part of us, why not another? Could not these help cause cancer much the same as they have reduced sperm counts? Again, the specific number may never be known. It is all too easy to look for an easy out, a scapegoat so to speak. Point the finger at the tobacco companies and forget the environmental issues, genetic predispositions, and harm done by excessive smoking. If anyone is guilty of "diminished mental capacity," I believe it is someone who has not taken these factors, along with others, into consideration. BTW, what exactly did you disagree with in my original post? I said in moderation, nearly anything is fine. I never claimed that cigartees do not cause cancer when done in excess. BK

To: Cary Salsberg who wrote (36697)	8/13/2000 9:28:05 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 70976

OT Cary, One more thing regarding cigarettes. There is much rhetoric from you and others about how deadly they are and yet the rules for distributing them have not really changed since the tobacco settlement. One would think if all of the rhetoric were true about the dangers from casual(moderate) smoking, then there would be moves to ban this nefarious product. There are now no more Camel Joe's but the exchange of cigarettes over the counter still occurs as if there had been no settlement. If the FDA is truly responsible for the safety of the American public then why wasn't a charge by the attorneys general brought against them? Fair question, no? I sure hope that the answer is not money since that would make their campaign a farce and hypocritical. BTW, I do NOT smoke and do not like it even in my car. However, at the same time, I have seen rights of various people in this country trampled for a good "cause." This is the only country where companies can be sued for selling legal products. Amazing! What is more amazing is the willingness of people to cede their freedoms more and more and partake in the chant of "Down with cigarettes" or whatever currently is en vogue as the cause of the day. Too bad you cannot see through the smokescreen. BK

To: Cary Salsberg who wrote (36697)	8/13/2000 10:33:57 AM
From: michael97123	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 70976

RE:"On the issues of cigarettes, I view them as benign for the most part." I hope Brian doesn't smoke. He supplies more info for this thread than anyone, and his loss would be felt. I lost 2 of my best friends to lung cancer both around the age of 50. They died horrible deaths from run-away tumors caused specifically by cigarrettes. I was addicted until I was about 35 when I was lucky enough to quit. I started smoking when I was very young and I am sure that the tobacco companies marketing effort was directed at kids like me. I hope for a day when Tobacco is no more. I won't ever buy tobacco company stocks. It's my little contribution to their demise as well as a way to honor my friends.