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Tobacco's Faceless Victims
God forbid, what if you or your loved one should develop a smoking related disease that becomes terminal? Would it cross your mind during dark days of deep despair that the lives of hundreds or even thousands of struggling smokers might benefit greatly, or even be saved, by being touched by your parting hand, thoughts, unique insights, concerns and, yes, even your death? WhyQuit doesn't celebrate Bryan Lee Curtis's smoking life or Sean Marsee's years of smokeless tobacco use, but we can't help but deeply admire their genuine concern for the world's youth and one billion nicotine dependent souls, as they both looked death squarely in the face. We never heard Bryan or Sean speak but we were told that they wanted us to know what tobacco had done to their lives.
How can we not admire the caring of the Glykos family for so freely sharing the most tragic event they're likely to ever experience - the passing of Noni. We've had other families, too, who've shared their loss in hopes that others may avoid the real and lasting anguish of their own such experience. And then, there are the survivors who've come forth. Kim bared her scar to help burn into our minds what it looks like after having a lung removed, and Tony and Katlyn shared their life crippling horrors as well. But, where are tobacco's other faceless victims? Why only a few?
For all intents and purposes death from smoking remains totally faceless. Why should teenagers be concerned about the health risks of smoking when this year alone almost two million middle-aged smokers will decide to die very privately and very very quietly? "Death with dignity," you say? Where is the dignity in allowing one of the most purposeful messages in our life to go undelivered? Where is the dignity in not identifying our killer in hopes that others might come to recognize him and avoid a similar fate?
You can search the internet long and hard but I doubt you'll be able to locate the words of even ONE dying smoker, warning earth's 1.2 billion smokers about a fate that might someday claim their life. We're told that over fifty million smokers are scheduled to die of smoking related diseases this decade. To our world's youth, these statistics are just meaningless numbers.
Both condom use and sexual abstinence rates among youth increased dramatically after our teenagers viewed countless news stories showing thin and frail dying aids victims in hospital rooms around the world. The evening news has bombarded our youth with automobile accident news stories showing seriously injured and deceased victims being almost daily carried away in ambulances. So why show AIDS and ACCIDENT victims but not SMOKING victims? Instead, each Sunday we show our teens colorful auto races where tobacco is glorified on the uniforms, hats and race cars of the world's most skilled drivers. Instead of seeing nicotine addiction's true horrors, we allow those pushing it to feed our children a healthy diet of glamour magazine advertisements, and colorful store tobacco displays, that proclaim a central theme of smoking being a matter of "choice" and one of the best things associated with being a "real" adult.
Whether here or elsewhere, tobacco's true story must be told. It isn't easy reminding terminally ill tobacco victims or those living with serious damage that there is still time to fight back. It's only an opportunity but like organ donation, unless mentioned and used it's an opportunity lost.
It's ironic but once a smoker learns that they have cancer that almost all of them fight with all their strength to beat it and stay alive. What that should tell us is that smokers don't yet appreciate how dangerous smoking really is. Isn't it time that we told them the truth!
Each year WhyQuit receives hundreds of thousands of visitors, each seeking to fuel their determination, spirit and mind. If you or your family member has to share we'd love to help.
Founder WhyQuit.com