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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!oddjob!trisha
From: trisha@oddjob.UUCP (Trisha O Tuama)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Thank you for your flames
Message-ID: <735@oddjob.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-May-85 21:01:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: oddjob.735
Posted: Sat May 18 21:01:52 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 19-May-85 06:21:41 EDT
References: <101@utastro.UUCP>
Reply-To: trisha@oddjob.UUCP (Trisha O Tuama)
Distribution: net
Organization: U. Chicago, Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lines: 25

The only problem with your reasoning (ie, I don't smoke in public)
is that you and all other smokers are forcing the rest of us to assume
the multi-billion dollar cost of your smoking tobacco:

	a)  higher health/life insurance costs
	b)  increased spending for government health programs
		(ie, Medicare/Medicaid, VA hospitalization, etc.)
	c)  huge loss in workplace productivity; not only are smokers 
		sick much more often than non-smokers, smokers steal their
		employers' time by taking numerous "smoking breaks" during 
		the day
	d)  federal subsidies to tobacco farmers
	e)  increased incidence of fire and smoke damage 
	f)  additional custodial staff to clean up after smokers
	
   We are talking about billions of dollars every year -- all for
something that has absolutely no value for anyone except the tobacco
growers (for the sake of arguement, I'm not counting advertisers or
tennis players).  

   If you smokers out there want to get together and pay the bill for
yourselves, it is fine with me if you smoke.  I don't often agree
with Brooke Shields, but she's right: smoking stinks.

    Trisha (the asthmatic) O Tuama