Anti-smoking: It's medical correctness, actually

December 2002

To the Editor:

I read with great interest parts of the Simcoe Reformer's "war on smoking" series. Having lived outside of Norfolk for several years now, I almost forgot just how absurd tobacco farmers sound when they claim that smoking is not, in fact, harmful. Or that those of us concerned about the hazards of cigarette smoke are simply "anti-smoking zealots" with a penchant for political correctness.

My favourite pro-smoking argument goes something like: "My mother smoked all her life and lived until she was 92." How rigorous! My second favourite argument is that all those experts, including innumerable scientists and doctors around the world, have merely distorted the facts and statistics. How objective and comprehensive!

The good news is that the "war on smoking" is working. Perhaps once the last butt is stomped out, the tobacco industry will admit the truth that it obfuscates with anecdotes and aspersions. So long as it profits from others' addiction to disease and death, the industry will dispense with the basic morality of doing no harm to others.

In the meantime, I'll trust the expert word of those not reaping magnificent profits from the sale of cigarettes. That is, I'll take the advice of the 10 million doctors in 117 countries - represented by organizations like the World Medical Association - that say smoking kills. Period.

R. Telfer