A clear memory from my childhood is a particular sunny drive down Interstate 5 on our way to Disneyland. This was back in 1978.
My sister and I were excited to have our hair blowing in the breeze, cruising along with windows down at 60 MPH.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t just something to look forward to, but a necessity. The car was filled with cigarette smoke, with our only defense being the combination of open windows and freeway speeds.
The particular relatives we were with would, for better or worse, be smoking lots of cigarettes the entire way to the Magic Kingdom.
At the time I thought they were just trying to torture me with smoke. Now I know that cigarette smoking is actually a ‘chronic relapsing medical condition’ AKA a serious addiction. Many who are afflicted are never able to break from their addictions permanently, despite the best of intentions.
My education and experience as a dentist has taught me that in the world of oral health, smokers suffer with more mouth soreness, dry mouth and gum disease, as well as systemic diseases like oral cancer and pulmonary disease.
I could show you some frightening pictures, but a simple internet search for much of the above will show you what I’m talking about. If you have a friend or family member suffering this addiction, that might be a place to start. Had we had mobile internet on that car ride…
(That picture above is a 1978 Disneyland ticket I found over on this site, if you’re into such things.)
