Randy basically questioned the RIDICULOUSNESS of
Class Action Suits against Tobacco Companies -
FORSOOTH - My Reply:
RANDY - Yes, it is ridiculous - BUT -
What part of ADDICTIVE - do people not understand?
A HEROIN ADDICT IS ADDICTED TO HEROIN!
AN ALCOHOLIC IS ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL!
A DIABETIC IS ADDICTED TO SUGAR - GLUCOSE!
A SMOKER IS ADDICTED TO NICOTINE!
ADDICTED MEANS YOUR BODY CRAVES IT -
IT IS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL AND WILL POWER!
AND FOR MANY PEOPLE, EVEN COSTLY HYPNOSIS
DOES NOT WORK!
AND YES - THOSE COMPANIES AND CORPORATIONS THAT SOLD LEGAL PRODUCTS, KNOWING UP FRONT THAT THEY WERE, IN FACT, ADDICTIVE - AND REAPED ALL THOSE BILLIONS/MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE PAST - FROM A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS!
I personally have been smoking since age 15 -
53 YEARS - 2 PACKS/DAY = ADDICTED.
MY BEST GUESS IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN $30,000 TO $35,000 - SPENT - BURNED UP - WASTED !!!
IF 'THEY' OWE ME NOTHING ELSE -
HOW ABOUT ALL MY MONEY PAID -
PLUS INTEREST COMPOUNDED FOR 58 YEARS?
WHAT WOULD THE "PRESENT WORTH OF A DOLLAR" ACTUARIAL TABLE PROVIDE AS THIS FIGURE?
THEN, MAYBE I WOULD HAVE A 'FUND' THAT MIGHT AUGMENT THE FUTURE COST OF MY MEDICAL BILLS - COMING FROM THE 'CULPRITS' -
RATHER THAN FROM OTHER TAXPAYERS' TAXES?
WORKS FOR ME!
PEACE - TOM.
=================
by Tom Hyland (author) at 2/15/2009 11:57:15 AM
2/15/2009 Jnia Fowler What a terrific bunch of points here. Smoking kills. I did it for about 15 years. Wish I never had. I suppose that at my young and stupid age, when I started, I didn't care about the risks. Now it is too late to fix the lungs. Mine are ok. Had a recent chest exray but you just never know. Thanks for this. Blessings, J'nia
J'NIA - thank you, Dear! This is really my BIGGEST pet peeve!
IF - one person CHOOSES to drink exorbitant amounts of ALCOHOL - Get DRUNK, ruin their Family's lives, Break Laws and DRIVE - MURDER another Family with their car - that's OKAY, right? It's a Legal product, with a huge LOBBY, and produces MUCHO TAX DOLLARS for the governments coffers - HOW CONVENIENT!
BUT - IF - another person, minds his own business, sits in a BAR, drinking COCA-COLA, and almost ALL the other patrons are, in fact, SMOKERS -
but, by Maryland Law (imposed by the Smoking NAZIS in Annapolis) - we are FORBIDDEN TO SMOKE IN THE LAST BASTIONS OF FREEDOM - while every NON-Smoker has their CHOICE of EVERY RESTAURANT in the FRIGGING STATE in which to dine -
WHY IN THE HELL CAN'T WE BE LEFT ALONE, INSTEAD OF DISCRIMINATED AGAINST?
DON'T LIKE TO SMOKE? STAY OUT OF BARS! SIMPLE - AND - FAIR !!!
BUT NO - NON-SMOKERS HAVE TO HAVE IT ALL !!!
J'NIA - if you ever have some time to waste, and want to read more of this diatribe, go to the following website and read what I posted over 10 years ago! IT IS STILL THERE!
http://www.forces.org/articles/files/newleper.htm
Sorry to be so verbose, but I CARE DEEPLY! Tom.
2/14/2009
Marion Dollar
Tom:
I too smoked for 42 years--I quit--hardest damned thing I ever done but I did it.Both smoking and quitting was a choice I made. Isn't that all it boils down to? A choice that you personally make?
Marion
by Tom Hyland (author) at 2/14/2009 8:14:24 PM
MARION - what you did is commendable, but no, it is not that simple.
The number who are able to do so are a very small minority. Millions who want to quit spend more good money for both Patches and Gum, and still do not succeed. And who do you think makes the Profit on those items sold? The Tobacco Industry - the same people who caused the addictions, now reap more Millions $ on cessation products! Another small minority, like myself, have NO desire to quit, and HATE the Smoking NAZIS who try to FORCE us to do so!
ALCOHOL KILLS more people FASTER every day - but the government won't BAN that will they? FREEDOM OF CHOICE TO USE ANY LEGAL PRODUCT SHOULD BE PROTECTED BY LAW -
NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST SMOKERS! Peace, Tom.
Posted by Marion Dollar (author) at 2/15/2009 3:40:03 AM
Hi Tom
If your choice was to smoke, and obviously it was, then I agree whole heartedly, ( tobacco being a legal item in our society), with your views and your stand against the tobacco companies. Actually, I agree with you and I chose to quit.I still think some of the blame, however small, lies with us, for having chose to smoke in the first place--we could have chosen not to. Peace and love.
Marion
Hi Marion Dollar:
Let us consider that statement - I was born 1940 - started swiping my Dad's Camels at 15 (1955) - all my aunts and uncles smoked - all my teenage cousins smoked, all the neighbor grown-ups smoked - all the movie stars and heroes smoked - for the ten years prior, from 1945 on, all the returning vets - soldiers, sailors, marines - all smoked! Get the picture?
There were NO Warning Labels, NO admission of ADDICTION, NO facts nor figures, nor published statistics - NO CLUE that it was bad!
The same thing was occurring with Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Child Abuse, Spousal Abuse - and the PUBLIC KNEW NOT!
We were products of our Society at the time - because of that Fact, I do not think WE were fully informed, so I feel it is unfair to blame ourselves for this insidious addiction!
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