XPost: uk.d-i-y 
 From: tsanford@nf.sympatico.ca 
  
 Obviously selected for maximum effect; but just to mention some 
 'actual life' (or should that be 'death'?) situations: 
 A current ad on Canadian TV is a waitress who has never smoked 
 but has spent her working life in a bar where people smoked. 
 She has terminal lung cancer due to 'Second Hand Smoke'. 
 Many bars and restaurants now do not allow smoking. 
 Another, a woman, not yet 60, worked for me and was an inveterate 
 smoker. She has a slightly mentally challenged daughter who is 
 dependent on her. Met her recently following the removal of one 
 complete lung. 
 Terry. 
 PS. One day my son and I stopped because there was a two to three 
 year old used vehicle, in seemingly very good condition, posted 
 with a more than reasonable price and low mileage. 
 The moment we opened the door to look inside the reason was 
 obvious. The 'stink' was awful. The driver must have been a chain 
 smoker (maybe he had died?). 
 Our estimate was that due to the smoke damage the vehicle had 
 lost 'at least' several thousand dollars due to smoke damage. If 
 you take conservative estimates of a) The loss of value (-$4000); 
 together with b) The cost of cigarettes for say three years at 
 two packs a day? (-$7500) plus higher life insurance premiums for 
 someone in mid life, say (3 X 1000 = -$3000). Total dollars 
 around -$15000 over three years plus health costs? 
 If that $approx. $5000 per year figure is anywhere near correct 
 that's a heck of a cost over a lifetime; and considering that's 
 after paying income tax is equivalent to gross earnings of 
 somewhere around $300,000! WOW! 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)