That's A Big Lawsuit!

   Just how big? How does 27 billion dollars Canadian suit you. That's what the Big 3 tobacco companies in this country are being sued for in a class action case. And it's being brought by a group of Quebec smokers, who have a reputation as being some of the heaviest puffers of the death stick in Canada.
   The smokers claim in a lawsuit that they were duped for years by big tobacco companies, as they became addicted to cigarettes and then suffered from serious health problems, and that they were "programmed" to start by T.V commercials in the '60's.
   Not surprisingly, the tobacco companies say with all the publicly available information on the dangers of tobacco, smokers must take responsibility for their decision to light up.
   Being a former addict to cigarettes, and one who's now paying a bit of the price for it, I say tough shit! No one from the tobacco companies busted down your door, strapped you to a chair and force fed you cigarettes. Like me, you made a conscious choice to start smoking. I am not suing any company for anything because I was not forced into it. Free will and freedom of choice are yours. If you (like me) choose to smoke, then you'd better be ready to suffer the consequences. I am. But I'm also not burdening (so far) the health care system. Shit. I've put WAY more into that through taxes than I've ever taken out. Sure, it sucks to pay the piper's price for smoking, but that son of a bitch demands his due. Do I wish I`d never started? Hell yes. Do I blame anyone for getting me hooked? Just myself.
   I also made the conscious decision more than a decade ago to quit. Successfully. So successfully that it's to the point now where I can't stand the smell of tobacco smoke.
   As for this lawsuit, It's not the first, and it won't be the last, since several provinces are already lining up to sue. But I won't be part of any litigation.
   I guess what I`m saying with smoking is "buyer beware".
   'Nuff said.