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Difficult to inhale
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Posted on Jul 02 2008
I’ve always enjoyed Mr Bateman’s comments, even though some are tongue in cheek. His comments relative to secondhand smoke are, however, difficult to inhale!
There is no question relative to the unhealthy effects of secondhand smoke. One can consume all the mayonnaise they choose, and clog up their arteries, but it isn’t going to have any affect on anyone else. Same thing with french fries.
Secondhand smoke, on the other hand is a killer. I chat with patients many times a day attempting to educate them relative to the medical chances they take by smoking and/or chewing betel nut. It is a very difficult habit to break. The success rate is approximately 18 percent, and the only people who are successful are those who truly want to stop!
Tobacco consumption is dangerous not only to the consumer’s health, but also to anyone near them, especially children! Here is a shortened list of medical issues that effect smokers:
-Heart disease
-Lung disease, including Emphysema as well as lung cancer
-Cancer of the throat, mouth, liver, brain, and kidneys.
Innocent people who work and/or live around smokers have a higher incidence of all of the above listed diseases.
Add this bit of science to the pot: Smokers are sicker and miss more work time than non-smokers!
I agree with you that no one can legislate health issues. That said, I would never hire a smoker to work in my dental clinic!
So, consume all of the mayonnaise and french fries you desire. The only folks it will affect are those paying your medical bills.
Lastly, hats off to Tan Holdings, which is arduously promoting the “smoke-free work-place”! Not only are they placing healthy boundaries for their workers, they are, in effect, protecting some people from themselves (the Pogo philosophy), and they are protecting innocent people. The huge bonus for Tan Holdings is that there should be a marked decrease in days missed from work.
One last thought, Mr Bateman: Kissing a smoker is like kissing an ashtray!
[B]Dr. Alan S. Markoff[/B] [I]President, ToothworksChalan Kiya, Saipan[/I]
