Not a good analogy Eagle. Smokers are making an active choice, knowing the dangers to themselves and other people. Getting older is a natural process and the majority of older people have contributed pretty well economically to society. The societies that made old age illegal were those on the edge of survival or sociopathic ones. We are nowhere near the former and although there are signs that we could be the latter, I truly hope not.
If you read the following you'll see the smoking one is a no-brainer. For all our kids and others - it's a DON'T do it. Just say NO.
Maternal smoking during pregnancy and passive smoking affects weird things like on-set of puberty in girls and boys - earlier, and is associated with increased menstrual and fertility disorders, foetal and infant health, neurobehavioural problems, lower birth weights but a higher tendency to later obesity. Earlier maturation in girls may have adverse effects, including higher levels of psychological distress, experimentation with risky behaviors, and earlier age at first pregnancy. Girls with early onset may be at higher risk of infertility or adverse pregnancy outcome, as well as alterations in their adult hormone excretion patterns and menstrual cycles. Early age at menarche is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer.
Passive smoking effects: Some of the immediate effects of passive smoking include eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea. Adults with asthma can experience a significant decline in lung function when exposed, while new cases of asthma may be induced in children whose parents smoke. Short term exposure to tobacco smoke also has a measurable effect on the heart in non-smokers. Just 30 minutes exposure is enough to reduce coronary blood flow.
Long term effects : Non-smokers who are exposed to passive smoking in the home, have a 25 per cent increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer. Passive smoking is a cause of lung cancer and ischaemic heart disease in adult non-smokers, and a cause of respiratory disease, cot death, middle ear disease and asthmatic attacks in children.
Domestic exposure to secondhand smoke in the UK causes around 2,700 deaths in people aged 20-64 and a further 8,000 deaths a year among people aged 65 years or older. Exposure to secondhand smoke at work is estimated to cause the death of more than two employed persons per working day across the UK as a whole (617 deaths a year), including 54 deaths a year in the hospitality industry. This equates to about one-fifth of all deaths from secondhand smoke in the general population and up to half of such deaths among employees in the hospitality trades.
Children: Passive smoking increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children. One study found that in households where both parents smoke, young children have a 72 per cent increased risk of respiratory illnesses. Passive smoking causes a reduction in lung function and increased severity in the symptoms of asthma in children, and is a risk factor for new cases of asthma in children. Passive smoking is also associated with middle ear infection in children as well as possible cardiovascular impairment and behavioural problems. A Canadian study found that passive smoking reduced children