Actually she died last Wednesday. The wake was Sunday afternoon and the funeral was yesterday morning. In March of last year, she was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 63. If you have lost a relative or friend to cancer, you know what an insidious, painful and agonizing death it can be.
My mom started smoking when she was 18.
Of course we all need to take some responsibility for our actions. Hell, I'm a recovering alcoholic so I know all about that. But when my mom started smoking there was no Surgeon General's Warning on the side of the pack. Major television and TV personalities touted the benefits of a cigarette. Even the GOP-God himself, Ronald Reagan, made cigarette commercials.
And I watched so many times as my mom tried desperately to quit. Sometimes she would make it for a week or two, but then you'd smell it on her and knew she had gone back. She tried gum, patches, hypnosis...anything that might break her from her deadly habit, but as many of you know it's a strong addiction.
Do I blame the tobacco industry for her death? 100% percent totally Absolutely.
From a Boston.com article:
But the industry is alive and well, littering the planet with illness and death. Despite the drop in the last half century, 22 percent of US high school students smoke. The Centers for Disease Control predicts that 6.4 million of US children alive today will die of a smoking-related disease. Globally, the World Health Organization predicts that deaths due to smoking will grow from a current 5 million people a year to 10 million a year by 2020. About 650 million people alive today will die from smoking.
Read those two bold sentence again. 6.4 million US children alive today will die of a smoking related disease. About 650 million people alive today will die from smoking.
Jesus...how do tobacco executives sleep at night!?
Every day I walk to the subway past a high school and I see the teenagers outside smoking and it just breaks my heart.
Joe Camel you have succeeded in hooking these kids and in all likely hood you will succeed in killing them.
Rest in peace mom until we meet again. Love, Michael
P.S. I just got home from work and starting reading many of these thoughtful comments. Since I can't possibly thank everyone personally, I'll just say it here. Thank You from the bottom of my heart.