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Have You Seen the Marlboro Man Lately?
This article is Smokin'
Copyrighted by Diet Bites
Did you know that way back when, the tobacco industry actually claimed that smoking was instrumental in achieving good health? They 
played on words such as, "Fine tasting tobacco, smooth tobacco taste, relaxing." Hum. That almost sounds like a coffee commercial from today's world, doesn't it?
Nonetheless, over time we've all learned many things about smoking. For one, smoking is instrumental in achieving poor health. Those statements that were played so long ago now read, "Addictive nicotine tobacco." The tobacco industry also portrayed a smoker as an icon of irresistible beauty - or one heck of a hunk, depending on the star of the ad being female, or male. But have you taken a look at the Marlboro Man lately?
Geeze; it's a bit scary but I'd still like to share the story with you. In his twenties, he still looked rugged and drop-dead gorgeous. When he hit his thirties he started getting these little lines all over his handsome rugged face. They were very noticeable whenever he puffed on his smoking stick.
By the time he hit his forties, his mouth looked like a jute tobacco bag - a tight 'O'. Sometimes being tight isn't good. And he found it necessary to wear his gloves continually now to cover his yellow stained hands and nails. Yes, he wore those gloves even to bed.
By the time his fifties rolled around, he'd developed a bothersome cough that allowed him to show off his little brown and yellow teeth. It wasn't pretty, believe me. And this is getting a bit painful, so let's just leave the Marlboro Man lost in the fifties tonight, okay? Good.
Back to the present. You may be a smoker; and whether you are or aren't, at some point in your life you'll be tempted into the Land of the Marlboro Man.
If you currently smoke, you know how hard it is to quit. In the beginning, you were lured into smoking because it may have looked cool, or because you felt peer pressure, or because you found it relieved stress in your life. But smoking is a bit like climbing a steep mountain. It's a lot easier going up than it is coming down. Don't despair; stay level-headed, visit your doctor and kick the habit. You know the risks; you know the benefits of not smoking. It's your choice and in your control.
If you aren't a smoker, then my sage advice would be "DON'T". There are many other ways to express your sexuality, your maturity, and your personal identification without smoking. And they aren't cheap these days, either. Just ask the Marlboro Man who recently had to sell his horse and buy a scooter due to cigarette debt.
Think smart; it's your choice. Make it a choice of a lifetime.
