Dead of COPD
Eric Lawson, who portrayed the rugged Marlboro man in cigarette ads during the late 1970s, has died. He was 72.
Lawson died on 10 January at his home in San Luis Obispo of respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his wife, Susan Lawson, said on Sunday…
A smoker since age 14, Lawson later appeared in an anti-smoking commercial that parodied the Marlboro man and an Entertainment Tonight segment to discuss the negative effects of smoking. Ms Lawson said her husband was proud of the interview, even though he was smoking at the time and continued the habit until he was diagnosed with COPD.
“He knew the cigarettes had a hold on him,” she said. “He knew, yet he still couldn’t stop.”
Three of the actors appearing in adverts for Marlboro cigarettes have died of smoking-related diseases. They include David Millar, who died of emphysema in 1987, and David McLean, who died of lung cancer in 1995.
The ongoing question about ignorant vs stupid is pretty easy for this one. The American people have been made thoroughly aware of the dangers of smoking for decades. Everyone knows someone who died or is dying from lung cancer, COPD, some illness encouraged by smoking. Yet, many continue. Young people are encouraged to start.
Tobacco farmers are still getting subsidies from Congress.
Eideard 
Stupid +1
“Marlboro owner Altria invests $1.8 billion in cannabis company Cronos (CNN) https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/07/investing/altria-cronos-investment-marijuana/index.html
“Shares of Canada’s Cronos Corp. rocketed more than 24% Friday, after Altria Group Inc. agreed to take a major stake in the company and become its exclusive partner in the cannabis sector as new markets for medical and recreational weed open around the world.” (MarketWatch) https://www.marketwatch.com/story/cannabis-stock-cronos-soars-24-as-altria-takes-major-stake-2018-12-07 “The news sparked a rally in the broader sector, which has been expecting moves by big tobacco, given the overlap of growing and harvesting with the burgeoning weed industry. Cronos CRON, +0.16% CRON, +22.03% had disclosed early talks with Altria MO, -0.40% and analysts were expecting the owner of Philip Morris PM, -0.86% and its Marlboro brand to make a strategic move as it struggles with regulatory challenges and changing consumer behavior in its traditional market.”
“Older Americans Are Flocking to Medical Marijuana : Physicians who treat older adults expect their cannabis use to increase as the number of states legalizing medical marijuana keeps growing.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/health/seniors-marijuana-cannabis-pain.html
“Weed the People” documentary follows the journeys of five families, most of whom are unfamiliar with medical cannabis, as they seek treatment for their children suffering from various kinds of cancers. https://www.sfreporter.com/news/2018/12/04/weed-for-people/ “…In between filming the medical battles of the five families, the filmmakers also travel to Israel and Spain to speak with top medical experts, where there are no federal limits on research into cannabis—unlike in the US. This is ultimately the film’s greatest contribution: Pulling together the latest research from some of the sharpest minds on the subject, telling it through a premium lens on an issue whose time has come.”
The rancher and philanthropist best known for playing the original “Marlboro Man” has died after a life spent not smoking.
Robert ‘Bob’ Norris died in the care of Pikes Peak Hospice in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Nov. 3, according to a statement released by Tee Cross Ranches, which he founded. Norris was 90. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/09/us/robert-norris-marlboro-man-death-trnd/index.html
“The iconic commercials ran for about fourteen years in the U.S. and Europe. Rather than taking his fame seriously, he enjoyed the adventure. Bob regaled his friends with various misadventures during these shoots, often highlighting the fictional world of television with the real world of ranching he actually lived. But Bob, never a smoker, abandoned the campaign when he felt he was setting a poor example for his children.” https://www.teecrossranches.com/blog/Robert-Norris