My roommate (72 y/o, long-time smoker) had severe COPD. She'd faint without oxygen, she couldn't leave the house for more than a few hours, which is how long her tanks lasted. I mean, it's great that she made it to that age, but it sucked that she was sick so often. I knew her for ~6 months and watched her try and try to quit smoking. She did care about her health. And she didn't want to die or be sick. She loved her life. She died from a sudden heart attack in November. I know that everyone dies and everyone gets sicker when they get old, but she would have been so much better off if she'd never become addicted.

I never realized how hard it could be to quit cigarettes before meeting her. This was a woman who had been on alcohol and hard drugs for years in the past and had gotten and stayed sober, but cigarettes were way more difficult for her.

It makes me so fucking angry at the people who profited off of her sickness and her death. Who advertised and lied and actively encouraged her to get addicted. I hate them. Nothing can undo the damage they did and nothing can bring her back. But if I could make them suffer for it, I would.