Thursday, April 3, 2008

PANAT Petitions Pope Benedict XVI

A recent article in The Catholic Register tells of a group called Physicians and Nurses Against Tobacco (PANAT) who is petitioning Pope Benedict XVI to make the Vatican the first tobacco free country.
On their website, unholysmoke.org PANAT says
"Tobacco is a social evil harnessing societies the world over."
[sic]
If by that , they mean "harassing", then, I couldn't agree more. Anyone who uses tobacco, in any form, is an idiot.
In a perfect world, tobacco would be illegal; but in today's world that isn't likely to happen. Governments the world over make billions in tax revenue every year and will not kill that golden egg laying goose.
I agree with PANAT that people should not smoke, but this quote from PANAT gives me concern;
" We have witnessed the effects of smoking on the health of our patients and we realize the message to 'quit' is futile. Nicotine addiction is too powerful; few smokers can definitively quit their habit. We have to band together to change public policies and positions toward the production, distribution, sale and use of tobacco. Leaders are entrusted with the care and protection of their citizens. They can no longer overlook the scientific research demonstrating the danger of tobacco."
"the message to 'quit' is futile"? "few smokers can definitively quit their habit."?
I can't agree with that. Smokers can quit.I am living proof of that. I smoked cigarettes for more than 25 years. It took years, but I was able to quit.It's been more than 15 years since I smoked....I'd say that's "definitively".
It troubles me that PANAT believes "Leaders are
entrusted with the care and protection of their citizens." to the point of having us live under a "nanny state".
We have been given free will. It's up to us make our own choices and live....or die...with the consequences of our choices.

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