Inheritance
I had my first chest x-ray recently. Although they found none of the heart issues the doctor was screening for, they did discover mild signs of emphysema. My doctor assumed the damage had been done before I quit smoking and seemed unconcerned that it would get any worse. Only, I have never smoked. Not even a puff...of anything. So, the conclusion is that I was affected by second hand smoke, assumedly because I grew up in a house with smokers. It's a stunning fact, especially because I haven't really spent any significant time in a smoky environment since I was 18. That I could still be damaged by it decades later puts some weight into the arguments against smoking in public places. I suppose I could be angry at my parents. Given the availability of information, they probably knew smoking was bad for you when they started. However, the news about...