Alicia M. Lukachko and Elizabeth M. Whelan

In the following viewpoint, Alicia M. Lukachko and Elizabeth M. Whelan respond to an article written by Robert Levy and Rosalind Marimont. Lukachko and Whelan contend that, despite Levy and Marimont’s claims, cigarette smoking causes serious health problems for smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke. Among these illnesses, according to the authors, are emphysema, respiratory illnesses, and vision and hearing problems; these diseases result in as many as 700,000 deaths each year. The authors maintain that numerous studies have corroborated the link between smoking and diseases. Lukachko is the former assistant director of public health at the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH); Whelan is the president of ACSH.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What are some of the cardiovascular diseases with which cigarette smoking has...