Should People Be Allowed To Smoke In Public ?

mccindy72

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/copd.html

from the article: COPD—the number 3 killer in the nation—is almost always caused by smoking.
However, as many as one out of six people with COPD never smoked. Avoiding secondhand smoke is also critical.

Well I go by the actual Mortality and since Cancer is bulked as one and Lower respiratory diseases are # 3 I can see how you may make that argument though COPD ( while the #1 and yes most often cause by smoking) is not the only one that kills... So again I prefer to go by the hard Data and not general Data that can be written to spin things however you choose... Fact remains that we all Know smoking is bad, as is having an unhealthy diet, but people should be able to choose...and that includes walking away !

Point being that cancer has many, many different causes, and is dropping in incidences. It's also becoming more curable. COPD is increasing in incidnences and is incurable. It's also also completely preventable. By avoiding cigarettes.

mccindy72

I think it was wrong when our government made smoking in eating establishments illegal. If it was truly an issue with the majority then businesses would have adapted on their own or go out of business. However, the minority seems to have the loudest voice in governerment right now. They do not understand individual rights is meant to work in both directions instead of just their own. If the

Now, do not get me wrong, I actually enjoy going out to a restaurant now and not having to inhale smoke. Lets face it, smoking and non smoking areas did not work that well. I enjoy going into a hotel room and not having to worry about that nasty second hand smoke smell that just clings to everything.

I personally think if smokers understood how bad it actually smells they would not do it around non-smokers. I used to be a smoker and I can tell you I didn't realize how bad it stank. Both my parents and siblings all still smoke. The house just reeks and even after only an hour in their houses my clothes just reek of stale second hand smoke. I did not realize how bad it was till at least a year or two after I quit smoking.

So, to answer the OP question. The government should not get involved with banning smoking in public places.

^^^ This. The government is too involved in way too many things that can be handled by supply/demand. I'm tired of the few making all the rules for the many.

that's pretty funny, considering that less than 20% of the overall population smokes. So it's a case of the many wanting the few to stop smoking around them.

mccindy72

Anybody else remember the episode of The Simpsons where all of the childless residents realized they had the money, time and numbers required to make Springfield "adult friendly" by relegating children to only certain areas of the town?

Yes, most (if not all) of us realize that smoking is bad for our health and most of us try to be considerate. We accept being relegated to certain areas with as much dignity as possible. However, if you want to go on some crusade to totally stamp out our right to do something perfectly legal keep in mind that your rights could very well be next whether you think you're doing anything "wrong" or not.

Side note: as far as the perfume, my grandmother was severely allergic to perfume. So much that we had to bathe with special soaps when we stayed with her and were not allowed to bring anything scented with us. Did it kill her? No. Had she ever been trapped in an elevator with someone who bathed in the stuff it very well could have, though. Did she go on a mission to ban perfume in public to protect her health? Obviously not. She did her best to avoid being in close quarters with people who would trigger her allergy.

One person. I can understand this, I'm allergic to a lot of perfumes. I don't expect everyone in the world to stop wearing perfume. when something affects EVERYONE, as cigarette smoke does, then it should be prohibited in every area except in areas where only the people who choose to participate will be doing it.

So, again, we're banning automobiles?

I notice this one keeps being ignored in everyone's quest for clean air.

California is a leader in emissions control, and many automobile makers have been coming out with vehicles such as flex fuel and hybrids that utlize a cleaner way to use a vehicle with fewer emissions. However, the government you are all complaining about (primarily the Republicans) keeps voting down the EPA's ability to restrict automobile emissions, as well as factory emissions.

Swaggs51

I cannot wait to light up my Cigar at work tonight

__Bad_Leroy

Banning Leafblowers should be more of a priority than banning smoking, as the dust created by them is much more dangerous than second hand smoke.

“Leafblowers literally scour the earth: stripping off topsoil, desiccating roots, and killing vital soil-dwelling organisms, while, at the same time, propelling into the air clouds of dirt, dust and dangerous contaminants: volatile compounds, mold and fungal spores, weed seeds, insect eggs, pollen, molecules of the myriads of toxic chemicals people spray and sprinkle on their gardens, trees, and lawns, not to mention bird and rodent feces, and more.”

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART02059

mccindy72

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/copd.html

from the article: COPD—the number 3 killer in the nation—is almost always caused by smoking.
However, as many as one out of six people with COPD never smoked. Avoiding secondhand smoke is also critical.

Well I go by the actual Mortality and since Cancer is bulked as one and Lower respiratory diseases are # 3 I can see how you may make that argument though COPD ( while the #1 and yes most often cause by smoking) is not the only one that kills... So again I prefer to go by the hard Data and not general Data that can be written to spin things however you choose... Fact remains that we all Know smoking is bad, as is having an unhealthy diet, but people should be able to choose...and that includes walking away !

Point being that cancer has many, many different causes, and is dropping in incidences. It's also becoming more curable. COPD is increasing in incidnences and is incurable. It's also also completely preventable. By avoiding cigarettes.

So the only pollutant in the air, and the only one causing cancer, is second hand cigarette smoke?

It's funny, it almost seems like you're misrepresenting the facts to get your point across.

read everything I posted, I hit on all of these. I said cancer has MANY DIFFERENT CAUSES.

Then I said that COPD has ONE PRIMARY CAUSE. That is cigarette smoke.
Two posts later I addressed vehicle emissions.

mccindy72

Banning Leafblowers should be more of a priority than banning smoking, as the dust created by them is much more dangerous than second hand smoke.

“Leafblowers literally scour the earth: stripping off topsoil, desiccating roots, and killing vital soil-dwelling organisms, while, at the same time, propelling into the air clouds of dirt, dust and dangerous contaminants: volatile compounds, mold and fungal spores, weed seeds, insect eggs, pollen, molecules of the myriads of toxic chemicals people spray and sprinkle on their gardens, trees, and lawns, not to mention bird and rodent feces, and more.”

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART02059

YOu should try quoting a legitimate, scientific source next time.

sassyjae21

To me smoking is awful and gross but as long as you don't do it around me, I guess I don't really care what you do to your body. If someone is smoking and I have the option to leave; i'll just leave. Designated areas seem OK. Being around someone who smells like cigarette smoke is kind of annoying, but I guess I feel like that it's so common, that I don't really pay attention anymore.

Swaggs51

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

Show me the research to back this up.... I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke.

You can't be serious. I can fill you up with pages of COPD research, if you'd like but it's really unnecessary. Seriously, it's the THIRD LARGEST KILLER in the US right now, and will move to second within a few years. And is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke. And you want to try to claim perfume could be as bad? C'mon, now.

Please show me your stats , since you like throwing them out there... From the CDC you will not get any that are not from 2011, it takes them over 3 years to get any stats done.... Cancer is the # 2 cause of deaths, in which Lung Cancer made up less than 1/3 of cancer deaths with 156,953. Now about 28,000 of those were to Non smokers in which approximately 20,000 were from Radon and between 3-4,000 possibly from second hand smoke contact.... So there are the most recent stats from 2011 from the CDC... Refined sugar and obesity are far greater issues than smoking and if you want to talk about the second hand smoke stats and put it in perspective over over 3,330 deaths occurred in the same year 2011 by distracted drivers, with the #1 distraction cell phones and Texting, and those numbers are going up... So if your argument is that it kills any more than other things we come across in everyday life YOU ARE WRONG! ... I am not am not a Smoker, do not like it , and have dated one woman who was and broke up because I could not stand kissing her with smoker breath, but I am not about people right to choose being restricted by those who do not partake or agree with whatever the activity, including walking away from things they do not like.

here is the last link to the CDC, and it is pretty easy to look up the rest , so knock yourself out .... Did not see any thing on perfume killing but was not looking for that as this was to show how people exaggerate when talking stats...

http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/

CVS stopped selling cigarettes in all of their nation wide stores. This makes me happy.

but they are going to sell marijuana in their pharmacy... they wont sell tobacco leaf aka cigars but they will sell that hypocrisy at its best

Swaggs51

Banning Leafblowers should be more of a priority than banning smoking, as the dust created by them is much more dangerous than second hand smoke.

“Leafblowers literally scour the earth: stripping off topsoil, desiccating roots, and killing vital soil-dwelling organisms, while, at the same time, propelling into the air clouds of dirt, dust and dangerous contaminants: volatile compounds, mold and fungal spores, weed seeds, insect eggs, pollen, molecules of the myriads of toxic chemicals people spray and sprinkle on their gardens, trees, and lawns, not to mention bird and rodent feces, and more.”

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART02059

YOu should try quoting a legitimate, scientific source next time.

So in synopsis our argument boils down to you dont like something you want it banned. I do like something and dont want it banned.

Being a responsible cigar smoker and an individual who has and continues to work in the tobacco industry, can state that we as tobacco smokers know it is something probably not the healthiest for us. Now smoking affects each individual differently, some it takes a drastic effect quickly, others none at all.

your "lack of belief" in freedoms is noted and understood. Now in the modern era where communication is open and easy to do, i believe that no ones right to do as they wish should be completely eliminated. For as we have seen individuals will break any law will do as they please.

I believe in open area smoking, where air will dissipate smoke, and allow certain places to allow, restaurants, and bars, not all but those who wish to allow it, to let their patron enjoy what they love

Beezil

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

Show me the research to back this up.... I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke.

You can't be serious. I can fill you up with pages of COPD research, if you'd like but it's really unnecessary. Seriously, it's the THIRD LARGEST KILLER in the US right now, and will move to second within a few years. And is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke. And you want to try to claim perfume could be as bad? C'mon, now.

Please show me your stats , since you like throwing them out there... From the CDC you will not get any that are not from 2011, it takes them over 3 years to get any stats done.... Cancer is the # 2 cause of deaths, in which Lung Cancer made up less than 1/3 of cancer deaths with 156,953. Now about 28,000 of those were to Non smokers in which approximately 20,000 were from Radon and between 3-4,000 possibly from second hand smoke contact.... So there are the most recent stats from 2011 from the CDC... Refined sugar and obesity are far greater issues than smoking and if you want to talk about the second hand smoke stats and put it in perspective over over 3,330 deaths occurred in the same year 2011 by distracted drivers, with the #1 distraction cell phones and Texting, and those numbers are going up... So if your argument is that it kills any more than other things we come across in everyday life YOU ARE WRONG! ... I am not am not a Smoker, do not like it , and have dated one woman who was and broke up because I could not stand kissing her with smoker breath, but I am not about people right to choose being restricted by those who do not partake or agree with whatever the activity, including walking away from things they do not like.

here is the last link to the CDC, and it is pretty easy to look up the rest , so knock yourself out .... Did not see any thing on perfume killing but was not looking for that as this was to show how people exaggerate when talking stats...

http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/

CVS stopped selling cigarettes in all of their nation wide stores. This makes me happy.

but they are going to sell marijuana in their pharmacy... they wont sell tobacco leaf aka cigars but they will sell that hypocrisy at its best

Marijuana isn't deadly, doesn't cause cancer, and actually has health benefits... soooo...

cmpnaz

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/copd.html

from the article: COPD—the number 3 killer in the nation—is almost always caused by smoking.
However, as many as one out of six people with COPD never smoked. Avoiding secondhand smoke is also critical.

Well I go by the actual Mortality and since Cancer is bulked as one and Lower respiratory diseases are # 3 I can see how you may make that argument though COPD ( while the #1 and yes most often cause by smoking) is not the only one that kills... So again I prefer to go by the hard Data and not general Data that can be written to spin things however you choose... Fact remains that we all Know smoking is bad, as is having an unhealthy diet, but people should be able to choose...and that includes walking away !

Point being that cancer has many, many different causes, and is dropping in incidences. It's also becoming more curable. COPD is increasing in incidnences and is incurable. It's also also completely preventable. By avoiding cigarettes.

Please show hard statistics that Cancer deaths are decreasing by an real measurable numbers please... There is no cure for cancer , treatment to remission is not a cure ... COPD is an ailment that many can control and live with far longer than cancer... I am dealing with that right now with my Mother... A non smoker and non drinker , very little is any real exposure to second hand smoke and has been on a ventilator and still could possible die from COPD and CHF... What she did do is live unhealthy and drank Soda daily as it was water , she is obese and that is the reason she is dying... and dying of things you want to attribute almost solely to Smoking... NOT TRUE .... The biggest killer of Americans is our Eating lifestyle first and foremost with refined sugars, and grains being the primary reason... Not because in small amounts they are bad or toxic , but in our eating culture they have become a staple for creating high Sugar low nutritional value foods that many in this country eat in the troughs daily.

Swaggs51

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

Show me the research to back this up.... I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke.

You can't be serious. I can fill you up with pages of COPD research, if you'd like but it's really unnecessary. Seriously, it's the THIRD LARGEST KILLER in the US right now, and will move to second within a few years. And is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke. And you want to try to claim perfume could be as bad? C'mon, now.

Please show me your stats , since you like throwing them out there... From the CDC you will not get any that are not from 2011, it takes them over 3 years to get any stats done.... Cancer is the # 2 cause of deaths, in which Lung Cancer made up less than 1/3 of cancer deaths with 156,953. Now about 28,000 of those were to Non smokers in which approximately 20,000 were from Radon and between 3-4,000 possibly from second hand smoke contact.... So there are the most recent stats from 2011 from the CDC... Refined sugar and obesity are far greater issues than smoking and if you want to talk about the second hand smoke stats and put it in perspective over over 3,330 deaths occurred in the same year 2011 by distracted drivers, with the #1 distraction cell phones and Texting, and those numbers are going up... So if your argument is that it kills any more than other things we come across in everyday life YOU ARE WRONG! ... I am not am not a Smoker, do not like it , and have dated one woman who was and broke up because I could not stand kissing her with smoker breath, but I am not about people right to choose being restricted by those who do not partake or agree with whatever the activity, including walking away from things they do not like.

here is the last link to the CDC, and it is pretty easy to look up the rest , so knock yourself out .... Did not see any thing on perfume killing but was not looking for that as this was to show how people exaggerate when talking stats...

http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/

CVS stopped selling cigarettes in all of their nation wide stores. This makes me happy.

but they are going to sell marijuana in their pharmacy... they wont sell tobacco leaf aka cigars but they will sell that hypocrisy at its best

Marijuana isn't deadly, doesn't cause cancer, and actually has health benefits... soooo...

didnt dispute that. just the hypicracy. BTW studies have been done to show the positive effects of smoking tobacco as well. One of which is reduced stress levels a primary component of heart disease

mccindy72

Banning Leafblowers should be more of a priority than banning smoking, as the dust created by them is much more dangerous than second hand smoke.

“Leafblowers literally scour the earth: stripping off topsoil, desiccating roots, and killing vital soil-dwelling organisms, while, at the same time, propelling into the air clouds of dirt, dust and dangerous contaminants: volatile compounds, mold and fungal spores, weed seeds, insect eggs, pollen, molecules of the myriads of toxic chemicals people spray and sprinkle on their gardens, trees, and lawns, not to mention bird and rodent feces, and more.”

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART02059

YOu should try quoting a legitimate, scientific source next time.

So in synopsis our argument boils down to you dont like something you want it banned. I do like something and dont want it banned.

Being a responsible cigar smoker and an individual who has and continues to work in the tobacco industry, can state that we as tobacco smokers know it is something probably not the healthiest for us. Now smoking affects each individual differently, some it takes a drastic effect quickly, others none at all.

your "lack of belief" in freedoms is noted and understood. Now in the modern era where communication is open and easy to do, i believe that no ones right to do as they wish should be completely eliminated. For as we have seen individuals will break any law will do as they please.

I believe in open area smoking, where air will dissipate smoke, and allow certain places to allow, restaurants, and bars, not all but those who wish to allow it, to let their patron enjoy what they love

I don't believe I ever said smoking should be illegal or banned. I said it should be restricted to areas where only smokers are allowed. And not inside facilities such as restaurants or bars. It's not up to the business owner but the patron as to the risk to the individual's health. all of the businesses here have constructed open-air smoking areas outside where smokers have no issue going to have their smoke breaks and then coming back inside.

George_Baileys_Ghost

An assault on the rights of any, is an assault on the rights of all.

It's not possible to grant one person or group the right to do or be, without infringing upon the rights of another person or group.

Society is a contract among it's members to exchange certain rights for the good of the whole. As societies evolve, so does this contract. As it begins to favor a majority, the rest are left with 4 options: 1. acquiescence - The minority decides to sacrifice their rights on the altar of greater societal good. 2. protest/revolution - The minority decides to fight, whether by means political or militaristic. 3. abandonment - The minority leaves to form their own society. 4. tetherball - The vocal majority and minority keep slapping the ball back and forth, each taking it's turn in the other's role. The fourth is the least pleasant option, as no one is ever truly happy unless they are supplanting the other...which never fully happens. Though all have occasionally appeared with varying results, the fourth seems to pretty much be the foundation of the modern, Western world's civil thought process.

That said....yeah I think they should be, but I can see the other side of it.

mccindy72

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

Show me the research to back this up.... I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke.

You can't be serious. I can fill you up with pages of COPD research, if you'd like but it's really unnecessary. Seriously, it's the THIRD LARGEST KILLER in the US right now, and will move to second within a few years. And is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke. And you want to try to claim perfume could be as bad? C'mon, now.

Please show me your stats , since you like throwing them out there... From the CDC you will not get any that are not from 2011, it takes them over 3 years to get any stats done.... Cancer is the # 2 cause of deaths, in which Lung Cancer made up less than 1/3 of cancer deaths with 156,953. Now about 28,000 of those were to Non smokers in which approximately 20,000 were from Radon and between 3-4,000 possibly from second hand smoke contact.... So there are the most recent stats from 2011 from the CDC... Refined sugar and obesity are far greater issues than smoking and if you want to talk about the second hand smoke stats and put it in perspective over over 3,330 deaths occurred in the same year 2011 by distracted drivers, with the #1 distraction cell phones and Texting, and those numbers are going up... So if your argument is that it kills any more than other things we come across in everyday life YOU ARE WRONG! ... I am not am not a Smoker, do not like it , and have dated one woman who was and broke up because I could not stand kissing her with smoker breath, but I am not about people right to choose being restricted by those who do not partake or agree with whatever the activity, including walking away from things they do not like.

here is the last link to the CDC, and it is pretty easy to look up the rest , so knock yourself out .... Did not see any thing on perfume killing but was not looking for that as this was to show how people exaggerate when talking stats...

http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/

CVS stopped selling cigarettes in all of their nation wide stores. This makes me happy.

but they are going to sell marijuana in their pharmacy... they wont sell tobacco leaf aka cigars but they will sell that hypocrisy at its best

Marijuana isn't deadly, doesn't cause cancer, and actually has health benefits... soooo...

didnt dispute that. just the hypicracy. BTW studies have been done to show the positive effects of smoking tobacco as well. One of which is reduced stress levels a primary component of heart disease

that is completely inaccurate. The negative effect of cigarette smoke on blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, oxygen deprivation and damage to the lungs, far outweighs any potential mental perceived benefit gained from smoking.

Beezil

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

Show me the research to back this up.... I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke.

You can't be serious. I can fill you up with pages of COPD research, if you'd like but it's really unnecessary. Seriously, it's the THIRD LARGEST KILLER in the US right now, and will move to second within a few years. And is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke. And you want to try to claim perfume could be as bad? C'mon, now.

Please show me your stats , since you like throwing them out there... From the CDC you will not get any that are not from 2011, it takes them over 3 years to get any stats done.... Cancer is the # 2 cause of deaths, in which Lung Cancer made up less than 1/3 of cancer deaths with 156,953. Now about 28,000 of those were to Non smokers in which approximately 20,000 were from Radon and between 3-4,000 possibly from second hand smoke contact.... So there are the most recent stats from 2011 from the CDC... Refined sugar and obesity are far greater issues than smoking and if you want to talk about the second hand smoke stats and put it in perspective over over 3,330 deaths occurred in the same year 2011 by distracted drivers, with the #1 distraction cell phones and Texting, and those numbers are going up... So if your argument is that it kills any more than other things we come across in everyday life YOU ARE WRONG! ... I am not am not a Smoker, do not like it , and have dated one woman who was and broke up because I could not stand kissing her with smoker breath, but I am not about people right to choose being restricted by those who do not partake or agree with whatever the activity, including walking away from things they do not like.

here is the last link to the CDC, and it is pretty easy to look up the rest , so knock yourself out .... Did not see any thing on perfume killing but was not looking for that as this was to show how people exaggerate when talking stats...

http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/

CVS stopped selling cigarettes in all of their nation wide stores. This makes me happy.

but they are going to sell marijuana in their pharmacy... they wont sell tobacco leaf aka cigars but they will sell that hypocrisy at its best

Marijuana isn't deadly, doesn't cause cancer, and actually has health benefits... soooo...

didnt dispute that. just the hypicracy. BTW studies have been done to show the positive effects of smoking tobacco as well. One of which is reduced stress levels a primary component of heart disease

I don't know how it's hypocritical then. Also, nicotine is a stimulant. Typically, stimulants don't reduce stress, they add to it. Why are people trying to promote smoking something that is KNOWN to cause cancer? I mean, really? It was one thing when we didn't know better, but now we do. Time to change.

George_Baileys_Ghost

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/copd.html

from the article: COPD—the number 3 killer in the nation—is almost always caused by smoking.
However, as many as one out of six people with COPD never smoked. Avoiding secondhand smoke is also critical.

Well I go by the actual Mortality and since Cancer is bulked as one and Lower respiratory diseases are # 3 I can see how you may make that argument though COPD ( while the #1 and yes most often cause by smoking) is not the only one that kills... So again I prefer to go by the hard Data and not general Data that can be written to spin things however you choose... Fact remains that we all Know smoking is bad, as is having an unhealthy diet, but people should be able to choose...and that includes walking away !

Point being that cancer has many, many different causes, and is dropping in incidences. It's also becoming more curable. COPD is increasing in incidnences and is incurable. It's also also completely preventable. By avoiding cigarettes.

So the only pollutant in the air, and the only one causing cancer, is second hand cigarette smoke?

It's funny, it almost seems like you're misrepresenting the facts to get your point across.

Let's also not forget the sun. Major cancer causer. Ban it!

cmpnaz

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/copd.html

from the article: COPD—the number 3 killer in the nation—is almost always caused by smoking.
However, as many as one out of six people with COPD never smoked. Avoiding secondhand smoke is also critical.

Well I go by the actual Mortality and since Cancer is bulked as one and Lower respiratory diseases are # 3 I can see how you may make that argument though COPD ( while the #1 and yes most often cause by smoking) is not the only one that kills... So again I prefer to go by the hard Data and not general Data that can be written to spin things however you choose... Fact remains that we all Know smoking is bad, as is having an unhealthy diet, but people should be able to choose...and that includes walking away !

Point being that cancer has many, many different causes, and is dropping in incidences. It's also becoming more curable. COPD is increasing in incidnences and is incurable. It's also also completely preventable. By avoiding cigarettes.

COPD is not preventable by just avoiding cigarettes... here you go

"In the United States, the most common irritant that causes COPD is cigarette smoke. Pipe, cigar, and other types of tobacco smoke also can cause COPD, especially if the smoke is inhaled.

Breathing in secondhand smoke, air pollution, or chemical fumes or dust from the environment or workplace also can contribute to COPD. (Secondhand smoke is smoke in the air from other people smoking.)"

Cigarette smoke is up-sold as the primary so that people like you ignore all the other reasons...Remember My Mom is a Non Smoker.... every study you find will say it increases your chances of but will not give a definitive of it being the sole cause of anything as all illness it is associated with have other external factors...

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/copd/causes.html