I think about the times that although I should be mentally stronger, I am not and head to light a cigarette or go buy cigarettes. I know I should have the choice but why don’t I feel I do? Why have I not felt I had a choice for many years? Isn't that addiction?

Then, I thought about the anti-drug posters kids had on the school walls, posters telling kids about illegal drugs that could ruin them physically, mentally, drugs that could ruin their dreams, and forever change their lives.

There were anti-alcohol, anti-cocaine, anti-heroine, anti-meth, and so on. But, do you know what products and its drug wasn't mentioned? Yes, the products that now kill or are directly attributable to the deaths of 450.000 to 600,000 Americans each and every year.

The products contain nicotine, an extremely strong, deadly drug which is taken in by smoking and chewing. It now kills more people in this country than all the other drugs, murders, auto accidents, alcohol-related deaths, disasters, and home accidents put together.

Therefore, due to lack of even one poster against smoking, one must conclude kids do not recognize the dangers of nicotine, of smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chewing any more than young people in the 50’s.

We can, in part, blame parents and peers. But, we must also recognize and deal with the fact advertising by tobacco companies has a great deal to do with the non-recognition of tobacco products as being deadly products.

Glamour and being cool, like the Camel icon, easily lead kids away from the hazards. Put Joe Camel in an iron lung or have him gasping for breath. Have him hacking his head off, spitting up blood, and convulsing as he releases his last breath... That is truth in advertising, Ladies and Gentlemen, not the fiction presented by the tobacco industry to mislead the youth of this nation.

And, that brings us to what Congress should be doing - passing an bill to prevent misleading advertising by the tobacco industry rather than protecting huge contributions to the parties.