Smoking Killed the Famous
Anyone who watched movies during the 80s and 90s would have instantly recognized the wonderful talent of Patrick Swayze. He could dance, sing and actually acted beautifully too. He also smoked heavily and died from cancer at the age of 57. Perhaps among the saddest final photographic images of him are those showing him taking drags on cigarettes even as the pancreatic cancer that smoking had caused was killing him.
That’s the thing about cancer, which is a major side effect of regular cigarette smoking, it cannot distinguish between the gifted, super-talented, kind, generous, famous or infamous. It doesn’t know if you are a good parent to your children, a major member of your community, a loving friend, or a great neighbor; it just kills you.
Smoking related deaths total at more than five million each year, and yet some parts of the world show an increase in smoking within the adult population. Perhaps it would help if many people saw the recognizable faces of the hundreds of celebrities who died because of smoking.
For example, smoking led to the death of such legendary figures as playwright Lorraine Hansberry, baseball hero Babe Ruth, music legend Nat “King” Cole, horror movie star Lon Chaney, Hollywood hero Errol Flynn, 50s singer Mary Wells, TV star Michael Landon, singer Roy Orbison, comedian and band leader Spike Jones, baseball star Mark Belanger, actress Susan Hayward, James Bond –creator Ian Fleming, pin-up girl Betty Grable, and many more.
Just consider how many millions of people were moved and inspired by the music of George Harrison, and yet he never ceased smoking throughout his career. Consider too that each of the famous people, and the totally anonymous people, who have perished from their cigarette smoking habit gave up around five to fifteen years of life in exchange for their habit.
Even more ridiculous is the fact that the two men known as famous tobacco company cowboys whose rugged images were used for decades both died from smoking-related cancers too. Even one of the major Big Tobacco founders, Phillip Morris, died of lung cancer himself!
There is a funny saying about cigarettes and the safest way to smoke – it states that the only safe cigarette is the one that remains unlit and un-smoked. Clearly this is meant to be humorous, but if you consider how indiscriminate smoking related diseases are, and how the famous and the “everyday” person can succumb to these terrible deaths, then maybe that anecdotal advice should be followed.
