Letter To The Editor

Letter to EditorThe Washington Post,1301 K Street NW,Washington D.C. 20071,February 27, 2019.Dear Editor:U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2014) reported that of 34.3 million adult Americans who smoke cigarettes, more than a half that number lives with cigarette-related diseases while more than 480,000 die annually and around 41,000 in the same period from being exposed to secondhand smoke. The obituary left by Geoffrey Turner who died of lung cancer on February 13, 2019 is a perfect example why federal and state authorities should take a strong stance against cigarette smoking. Why is it impossible to ban cigarette smoking?Turner, in a self deprecating obituary that he wrote himself after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, confesses that he had been an idiot and selfish by engaging in cigarette smoking. The obituary, which has been shared widely in various social media platforms, further led credence to the camp that argues for a total ban of the toxic substance. The decision to smoke or not should not be left to consumers alone as various sources indicate that the manufacturers have the advantage and resources to influence the public to partake the killer stick.The measures that the government has taken in the