Ted- my mother died last year in June from chronic deteriorating emphysema thanks to her years of smoking...the last few years in the nursing home were spent with horrible hacking coughing and throwing up, inhaler treatments, and drugs. If you had to go through seeing it happen you might throw away your smokes. Sometimes the effects of smoking hit all at once....it's cumulative damage. The lungs are not designed for tar and nictotine and arsenic and carbon monoxide. You're defending your addiction again....and not only risking your own health like a crap shoot but the second hand smoke hurting those around you as well. Smoking doesn't make you a bad person though....(unless you're on the X-FILES)