>Has cigarette smoke really been identified as a hazard to the environment? I hadn't heard that.
>
>Ever heard of 2nd hand smoke? <s>
>
>Cigarette smoke contains 4,000+ chemical compounds - some are harmless, but many are toxic and a few are known carcinogens. Even the so-called "light" cigarettes aren't anywhere near as "safe" as the cig companies would have you believe.
>
>By the way, one of the more interesting debates/arguments I ever had with JVP was over cig companies - I said I'd never ever work for a cig company, not even if they paid me top dollar. He disagreed (and he's not a smoker either)
>
>Every time I see someone smoking in public, every time I see someone driving and flicking the last part of a cigarette out the window, I want to smack them in the face.

I don't want to get into a big debate about smoking. I find it unpleasant as well, although less militantly than you. My original comment was in response to your statement that it is hypocritical of Obama as a smoker to be an environmentalist. Second hand smoke (still hotly debated, I thought) is a health issue, not an environmental issue. It's not like it is burning holes in the ozone layer.