Of course smoking is a personal choice. Even with regard to
second-hand smoke, you always have a choice to walk away from
it.
If the woman featured in ST didn't smoke, and got lung cancer, why
is the fault pointed at smoking?
There is no doubt that smoking raises the smoker's risk of lung
cancer. However, the link to second-smoke hand is less clear
because we do not know enough about how much other pollutants can
cause lung cancers. Furthermore, since most enclosed places are
smoke-free, the amout of cigarettes smoke inhaled by non-smokers is
many, many times less that inhaled by smokers. So the non-smoking
woman who got lung cancer may have been poisoned by something else
in the air besides second-hand smoke. There are other sources of
carcinogens in the air besides those from cigarette smoke, for
example, cooking fumes, car exhaust etc. Or who says lung cancer
must be caused by something in the air; it may be something that
one eats or drinks.
