Reply #96: What was the life expectancy during Dickens' time?

[callous taoboy]

Plenty of smoking fools in any profession. Plenty of them dying prematurely, too, leaving behind loved ones. My mom stroked out due to heavy smoking when I was nine. Her death helped drive home the point that smoking kills, so "hype" from the medical profession is not necessary in my case to keep me away from smoking. You ever loose a parent as a child due to a selfish, deadly habit? If not I can perhaps understand your glib position on smoking.

Where do you get your facts on smoking and pregnancy, anyway? Call up any hospital and ask a nurse or doc what medical research has proven about the risks of smoking while pregnant.

Sure life's a crapshoot, but why do something to yourself and to your kids that has been proven to kill? It's why reasonable people keep guns locked up and away from their kids. Would you leave a loaded gun lying on the table with a child in the house? C'mon, man, what's to worry? The kid is going to die anyway some day, right?