My dad had emphysema and both of my parents had chronic bronchitis and ended up with cancers - all smoking related.
I have an education degree from the University of Minnesota, and I was a teacher for about a minute.
If somebody invented cigarettes today, the government would not legalize them.
I've been working with the National Lung Health Education Program to raise awareness about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
My mom started smoking when she was 11. She went to the hill next door to try her first cigarette. She set the entire hill on fire, but it didn't deter her.
My memory of my mom is a wine glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She was a runway fashion model, and she was quite a glamorous woman.