The cancer risk from cigarettes has been widely publicized for years,
and its addictiveness has been obvious even longer.

Those who ignored the U.S. surgeon general's warnings and anti-smoking
advertisements have no one to blame but themselves if they are
diagnosed with lung cancer or other respiratory illnesses.

The tobacco industry lied to protect its financial
interests.

If anyone is to blame for tobacco-related deaths besides the
individual, it would have to be the FDA, DEA or whichever alphabetic
government agency regulates products for consumer safety.

They are the people who have allowed tobacco products to be on the
market despite evidence they are carcinogenic and harmful to
respiratory health.

But if our government tried to add tobacco to the list of dangerous
and illegal drugs, it would lead to a house cleaning of our incumbent
government officials on Election Day. And if tobacco is not on the
list, then why is cannabis? tobacco causes more deaths than all other
illegal drugs than all other illegal drugs combined, while cannabis is
practically harmless

Lionel De Leon,
Garden Grove