Pence's decades-old 'smoking doesn't kill' statement resurfaces after coronavirus appointment

[RandySF]

Vice President Mike Pence, the man now leading the nation's response to public health threat from the coronavirus outbreak, once wrote "smoking doesn't kill."

President Donald Trump on Wednesday tapped Pence to work with the CDC, NIH and other government agencies to coordinate U.S. response to the outbreak.

But Pence's statement on smoking — made during his 2001 run for a congressional seat — could come back to haunt him.

"Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn't kill," Pence wrote in an opinion piece posted on his congressional campaign website in March 2001.

"In fact, 2 out of every 3 smokers does not die from a smoking related illness and 9 out of ten smokers do not contract lung cancer," Pence wrote. "This is not to say that smoking is good for you. News flash: smoking is not good for you."



https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/27/pence-smoking-cancer-donald-trump-coronavirus-response/4890066002/

[LiberalArkie]

1. People do not die from a diagnosis of "smoking". Like no one will die from a diagnosis of "flu"

But cancer, emphysema, throat cancers, stomach cancer, in the flu it is usually pneumonia.

I have had one pneumonia shot and need to check if I need a new one soon. Flu used to get me to the pre-pneumonia stage, but not any more. Flu shots, and the pneumonia shot have so far fixed me up.

[greenjar_01]

2. Yes, way back decades in 2001 when nobody knew that smoking was harmful

"decades-old."