Dear Editor
I am writing in response to W. Churchman's letter about smokers being discriminated against.
I am a non-smoker. I have cancer, the type of cancer that is irrefutably caused by smoking. This means I have cancer because of someone else exercising their "right" to smoke.
I have had the cancer diagnosis three times now. Three times I have had to tell my children that their mother has cancer. All because of someone else's smoking. Three surgeries and nine weeks of treatments are behind me. My future includes 42 weeks of treatments and checkups every three months for the next three years and annual checkups for the rest of my life.
Yes, the rest of my life. If one of those checkups shows cancer, it all starts over again. There will never be a "you are cured of cancer" for me. If I survive to see my grandchildren, they will never know me as not having cancer. All because of someone else's smoking.
I am proof of the danger of second-hand smoke. So are the 20,000 other North Americans who are diagnosed each year with this type of cancer. Each year 2,000 of those 20,000 die. In 10 years that is 200,000 diagnosed and 20,000 dead.
As far as the taxes collected from the sale of cigarettes going into general revenue, as Churchman believes, where do you think the money comes from for health care? I can't even venture a guess how much my cancer care is costing. I am just extremely grateful I don't have to worry about medical bills in addition to cancer.
People with cancer are a minority (thank goodness). What about our rights? What about smokers who are discriminating against us? I consider smokers' lack of concern for what they are doing to the health of others as discrimination.
Churchman is having an issue about the price smokers are paying for cigarettes. I have an issue with the ultimate price I may end up paying — my life — all because of someone else smoking. Please, Churchman, explain how that is fair.
C.C. Smith
