While I would not say smoking/chewing tobacco has any health benefits, the statistics they bandy about for smoking are skewed [i]heavily[/i] to weight the desired results, too. Sorry to be the unpopular guy and say this... bring on the pitchforks & someone get a rope! When a death certificate has space allocated to 'Death caused by tobacco: Probably' a sensible person should know where the numbers will trend regardless of the data received. Again, not defending tobacco, just saying that when you lie and manipulate data to make a valid point more valid(?), the results are tainted. The billions spent on synthesizing tobacco is also suspect, but yes, inhaling vegetable matter can't be good for anything.
IE: A man smoked in Vietnam for 1.5 year tour. Never smokes again for 42 years. Man develops neuroendocrine cancer and dies after stage 4. Tumors found in lungs(and everywhere else), death certificate's official cause of death? 'Probably' tobacco. One more stat for the witch hunt, one less for the Agent Orange cover-up/compensation. Yay statistics!
IE: A man smoked in Vietnam for 1.5 year tour. Never smokes again for 42 years. Man develops neuroendocrine cancer and dies after stage 4. Tumors found in lungs(and everywhere else), death certificate's official cause of death? 'Probably' tobacco. One more stat for the witch hunt, one less for the Agent Orange cover-up/compensation. Yay statistics!