The Numbers Don't Lie ... As Long As You Don't Read Them All

Today I read an article on msnbc.com that stated tobacco products are anticipated to kill an estimated 1 billion people in the next century. Statically speaking, tobacco related products have been reportedly responsible for 1.4 million deaths worldwide annually. Yes, that is a staggering number ... and it would appear that the anti-smoking lobby has numbers on their side. But in an attempt to put this into perspective; car crashes take an average of 1 million lives per year worldwide, and I don't recall seeing or hearing any safety lobby pushing to make motor vehicle travel illegal ... or for that matter hear even a peep about the "toxic second hand smoke" and even soot generated from the ever growing number of gasoline and diesel powered transportation methods worldwide. I guess every generation needs a scapegoat to bear the brunt of public hate, and it's just the smokers turn in the barrel.