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Here's the lines I noticed:

During the 25 years, there were 2,900 deaths in the study group. Of those deaths, 109 were directly attributable to COPD, and nearly all those deaths were in people who were active smokers at the start of the study. Only two non-smokers died of COPD.

So, out of 8000 people, 107 smokers and 2 non-smokers died DIRECTLY of COPD, over a period of 25 years.

That's one in every 800 that died directly of COPD. Not bad. One-eighth of one percent. I wonder if that's even statistically significant?

That's one in every 800 that died directly of COPD. Not bad. One-eighth of one percent. I wonder if that's even statistically significant?

Buy yourself a calculator. That's not 1/800, that's 1/80 who died, in the period of the study, from COPD. That doesn't include many others who died of breast, lung, throat, testicular and mouth cancers, emphysema, heart disease, stroke or other smoking-related ailments. Nor does it factor in the fact that a quarter of the subjects developed COPD -- resulting in debilitation and a huge decrease in quality of life, but not death.

Here's another one:

Among women, 90 percent of non-smokers still had healthy lungs at the end of 25 years, compared to 70 percent of smokers.

Okay, so that means 30 percent of smokers didn't have healthy lungs, and 10 percent of non-smokers didn't have healthy lungs, at the end of 25 years. I'd like to see a breakdown of causes. How many had TB? Did they select out for other causes of lung disease? Is anyone even aware that there are other causes of lung disease than smoking? How many of them had asthma? How many had lung damage from pneumonia? I'd just like to know, before drawing any conclusions.

In the interests of full disclosure, I smoke between 5 and 15 cigarettes a day.

If there were not such extreme hatred for smelling even a molecule of smoke among the anti-smokers, there might be a possibility of a dialogue. Like how nicotine patches help some Alzheimer's patients, like how smokers are less likely to develop Parkinson's. Why can't we talk about this? Because the antis are so rabid. When someone attacks me, I become defensive. When they attack me for a LEGAL habit that I enjoy, I get angry as well. When they start with the name-calling, I quit listening.

That's one in every 800 that died directly of COPD. Not bad. One-eighth of one percent. I wonder if that's even statistically significant?

That's why we never take these articles at face value. It's great not being easily swayed, isn't it?