PYLL mostly due to cancer and cardiovascular disease

A major, yet rarely admitted, reason for increases in these diseases since World War Two is quite possibly because of the many thousands of atmospheric nuclear tests conducted by the Americans, Soviets and British between 1945 and 1964, and thereafter by the French and Chinese until quite recently.

Each test could be said to be almost the equivalent of one Chernobyl, and much of the radiation from them can live for centuries, and perhaps longer.

Add to this rapid and often careless industrialisation over the last century or two; increases in automobile emissions; feelings of powerlessness, stress, as well as less nutritious foods, excessive alcohol consumption, etc, and one can't help thinking that if all of this became universally known the lawsuits would drown our entire civilisation.

So, what do they do? Blame it all on a single bad habit - smoking. A red herring. Indeed, a 'smoked' red herring.

A major, yet rarely admitted, reason for increases in these diseases since World War Two is quite possibly because of the many thousands of atmospheric nuclear tests conducted by the Americans, Soviets and British between 1945 and 1964, and thereafter by the French and Chinese until quite recently.

Each test could be said to be almost the equivalent of one Chernobyl, and much of the radiation from them can live for centuries, and perhaps longer.

Add to this rapid and often careless industrialisation over the last century or two; increases in automobile emissions; feelings of powerlessness, stress, as well as less nutritious foods, excessive alcohol consumption, etc, and one can't help thinking that if all of this became universally known the lawsuits would drown our entire civilisation.

So, what do they do? Blame it all on a single bad habit - smoking. A red herring. Indeed, a 'smoked' red herring.