Just a couple of reflections...........:-

One of my walks with the dog took me along an old railway track which is now a walk in a park. Part of it is along the edge of a hillside above a lake. Along there were a couple of donated seats (until the vandals pulled them up and threw them down the bank) and often there'd be an alky or two with their sad carrier bags full of cans and/or cheap cider.

Of course, the empty cans and bottles got thrown down the bank (and they're still there). One young chap was there nearly every day until a few years ago, he disappeared. Talking about him to the water bailiff, I was told he'd died.....

I often meet an old chap in his 80's who's always smoking. I mentioned the young chap above to him one day and he didn't say much.......

Speaking another day to the bailiff I learned (with horror) that I'd had  foot-in-mouth moment.... the young alky was the son of the old chap...... He'd died in his 30's, so young but he wouldn't stop drinking!

The thing is, the old chap is and always has been a smoker and I still meet him out walking his dog and he's still smoking, still well and walking about OK.

Both alcohol and tobacco can be killers to those susceptible but other people can partake to a great age. What's that old saying? "Eat, drink and be merry". Look what they've found now:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32233571

I suppose some study or other might soon discover that smoking is good for some people.......?