Smoking kills

The national "Tak Nak" ("Say No") government campaign against cigarettes is a RM100 million punt with a singular message: Smoking kills.

Let's think about it for a moment. Eating fatty foods kills too. I'll wager, that more Malaysians die from heart disease and fat-clogged arteries each year than lung cancer. And, yet nothing is said about banning the "i'm lovin' it" McDonald's ads or the "Reward your curiousity" Vanilla Coke ads, or even closing down the 24-hour mamak stalls that sells ghee-soaked roti canai, or the Chinese fried kuey teow shops (have you seen the amount of oil that goes into those things??) -- patently unhealthy foods, when taken in large and consistent amounts, will most definitely increase the possibility a person will suffer some form of coronary failure.

A pack of smokes equals one cheeseburger. Don't be surprised. Its true.

Smoking is certainly not a healthy habit. But i reckon that its become an easy target over the years. Politicians love to pick on it, the masses love to hate it, and smokers themselves tend to be too embarassed to stand up for their rights.

There is a mismatch of priorities. People should be taught to be more afraid of fat than tobacco.